S6E4 School Shootings Start Long Before the Gun — Here’s How to Stop Them

What if preventing school shootings has far less to do with reacting… and everything to do with what happens long before?

In this powerful episode of Stop the Killing, Katherine Schweit is joined by leading researchers from the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention and the National Center for School Safety to unpack what the data actually tells us about stopping violence before it starts.

This isn’t about headlines.This is about evidence, prevention, and what really works.

Dr. Brianna Scott — Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Michigan

Dr. Elyse Thulin — Research Assistant Professor, University of Michigan

Dr. Sarah M. Stilwell — Researcher in Educational Psychology, University of Michigan

• Why school shootings are the end of a long chain of missed warning signs

• The role of anonymous reporting systems in preventing harm

• How school culture, belonging, and connection reduce violence risk

• The three critical environments: physical, social, and attentive

• Why most youth access to firearms comes from familiar homes

• And how early intervention can stop escalation before it becomes tragedy

School shootings don’t begin with a weapon.They begin with missed opportunities to intervene earlier.

Here are the resources mentioned in this episode — all worth exploring:

• Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES) Program (free curriculum download):👉 https://yes.sph.umich.edu/

• ERPO Toolkit (Extreme Risk Protection Orders):👉 https://firearminjury.umich.edu/erpo-toolkit/

• Secure Firearm Storage Toolkit:👉 https://firearminjury.umich.edu/safe-firearm-storage-toolkit-home/

• National Center for School Safety:👉 https://www.nc2s.org/

• Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention:👉 https://firearminjury.umich.edu/

• Comprehensive School Safety Model:👉 https://www.nc2s.org/resource/a-positive-youth-development-approach-to-school-safety/

You don’t need to be an expert to prevent violence.

👉 Notice the signs👉 Speak up👉 Stay connected

Because one action