Call for Cases: Turn Your Averted Incidents Into Actionable Lessons for the K-12 Community
- Averted School Violence Project
- Nov 11
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Every day, students, parents, educators, and law enforcement officers take actions big and small that prevent tragedies in schools. These moments of awareness, courage, and coordination often go unseen, yet they hold powerful lessons for every school community.
Through the Averted School Violence (ASV) Database, these real-world cases are documented, reviewed, and shared to help others recognize warning signs, strengthen safety systems, and build more resilient schools. By submitting your own averted incidents, you can help transform a potential tragedy into a learning opportunity that protects others.
Averted Tragedies: A Real Case from the ASV Database
At a suburban high school, two 16-year-old students posted alarming photos on social media posing with firearms. Their caption read, “Schools gonna be fun tomorrow,” “School will be interesting tomorrow,” and included the hashtag “#RIP[school name].”
A parent who saw the posts around 8:00PM contacted the school principal, who immediately reached out to the school resource officer (SRO). Law enforcement swiftly began investigation, executing search warrants at both students’ homes. Officers discovered a total of 34 unsecured firearms, all readily accessible. Both families were avid hunters.
The two students were charged with making a threat of terrorism and using the Internet to commit terrorism—each a 20-year felony. The students later claimed their posts were intended as a joke, not genuine threats. This incident was one of four threats made to the same school district in a single week.
Lessons Learned from this Real Case
The Importance of Parental Awareness and Action
The quick response of a concerned parent was pivotal in bringing this threat to light. Parents play a critical role in monitoring online behavior and reporting concerning posts or messages. Additionally, awareness around early reporting and proper reporting channels, for both school and community members, allow schools and law enforcement to intervene before harm can occur.
The Power of Collaboration and Quick Response
The seamless coordination between the principal, SRO, and police enabled a rapid and thorough investigation. Clear communication channels and established protocols ensured that safety was prioritized, and the situation was successfully averted.
The Need for Ongoing Digital Awareness and Education
This case underscores the importance of educating students about the serious consequences of online threats. Even when intended as a “joke,” threatening language and images are never funny – they can cause fear, disrupt learning, and lead to severe legal outcomes.
Help Build the ASV Database
Every averted incident offers a critical lesson for school safety professionals, law enforcement, and educators. The ASV Database collects real-world examples like this one to identify what worked, what challenges emerged, and how others can apply those insights in their own schools and communities.
By sharing your case, you contribute to a growing body of knowledge that helps build best practices, prevent future tragedies, and strengthens our collective understanding of what’s working in school safety.
Join the Conversation: Upcoming ASV & NASRO Webinar
On December 10th, Safe and Sound Schools is proudly partnering with the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) and the Motorola Solutions Foundation for a webinar to highlight real cases from the ASV Database. We’ll explore the lessons learned from these incidents, discuss how early intervention and collaboration make a difference, and share actionable strategies schools can use to build safer environments.
Your insights can make a difference. By sharing your examples of averted cases ahead of the webinar, yours could be featured during the discussion! Share incidents from your community, join the discussion, and help us continue building safer, stronger schools.