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Push to prevent school shootings in our area
In the wake of the Uvalde, Texas shooting, several local schools had been under threats, leaving families, teachers and students worried.
LOS ANGELES - Since the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, similar threats have been reported at several Southern California schools.
Schools across the country have seen a drastic rise in reported threats. In Los Angeles that includes Baldwin Park High School, Mater Dei, Canyon High, Sierra Vista, Keith McCarthy Academy, Valley Adult School, Hans Christensen Middle School, and Ortega High. Graduations have been canceled, finals moved online... leaving many parents, staff, and students disappointed and worried.
"If I’m the bad guy I want to win and I want to win big. And I’m not going to win big if I tip somebody off that I’m coming, so most of the time, especially this time of year these threats are done by students who don’t want to take finals," said Chameleon Associates’ Director of School Operations Peter Crabbe.
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He trains schools around the world in active shooter response.
"We tend to have this thing that’s as long as nothing’s happening everything is ok. And we only see the bad guy when the shots start firing. We have to train on looking for pre-attack indicators so that we can create doubt in his mind and have at least a chance to be on the offense."
Clinical and Forensic Psychologist Dr. Dov Paz says those pre-attack indicators typically stem from a student with a grievance to settle.
"Ok you’re going to go home for two weeks because you beat up one of the students. Don’t send them home to sit there and ferment and become more violent and be more angry and more excluded and isolated. You’re actually doing the opposite of what should be done. They should be included and feel like they do matter and the system does care about them," Paz stated.
From the thousands of criminals he works with, Dr. Paz says at almost every shooter's core is a feeling of insignificance and neglect.