Their kids died at Sandy Hook. Their tip line prevents school shootings.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
Trinity Shockley was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder and threatening to commit terrorism. It was the 18th credible school shooting threat interrupted by a tip to the Say Something phone line or app since 2018, and the second so far this year. Shockley's lawyer did not return a request for comment.
Advertisement
The push to stop murders in classrooms by families who've experienced them continues to yield success stories even as the federal government is dismantling some tools aimed at preventing school shootings. The United States saw a sharp rise in such events starting in 2018, a Washington Post database shows, when the number of school shootings soared to 30 after annually averaging about half that. The grim figure increased to more than 40 in 2021 and 2022. But the number has dropped to 33 and 34 in the past two years, as Sandy Hook Promise pushes to spread word of the program through annual trainings and encourages students to report warning signs that could preface something worse.
Advertisement
Police and school officials around the country say they are happy to have the help. In Prince William County, Virginia, police receive tips 'almost daily, sometimes multiple times a day,' said Lt. Kimberly M. Mercer of the police youth services bureau. In December, when a Prince William student allegedly shared detailed plans about carrying out a school shooting, the Sandy Hook tip line was notified. Prince William police responded that night, Mercer said, followed by involvement with the school's threat assessment team and an increased police presence at the school.
'Situations like these happen more often than people realize,' Mercer said, 'and having a structured response process, starting with students speaking up, Sandy Hook Promise filtering critical tips, and law enforcement stepping in when needed, is essential for preventing violence before it happens.'
In Largo, Florida, police in January responded after the Say Something line received more than 40 tips when a teen allegedly threatened to shoot up his high school in a social media post, and the teen was arrested.
'Countless lives were saved, thanks to your quick thinking and for taking it seriously,' Sandy Hook Promise co-founder Mark Barden, whose son Daniel Barden was slain in 2012, said in a video thanking the students at Largo High School and the first responders who intervened.
In addition to the 18 school shootings stopped since 2018, tips to the Say Something line have prevented more than 700 teen suicides nationwide, using in-school training sessions to teach students how to recognize a threat and report it, the group says. Nicole Hockley, also a co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise and parent of Newtown victim Dylan Hockley, told of a recent case in which a tipster called to report a suicidal friend and spoke to a crisis counselor for several hours. Eventually, Hockley said the student told the counselor, ''I'm not calling you about my friend, it's me and I just overdosed,' so we were able to get to school to get to that child.'
Advertisement
Sandy Hook Promise opened a 24-hour crisis center in Miami to handle phone and online tips, established relationships with law enforcement agencies and school districts around the country, and helped coordinate the training of more than 31 million participants, Hockley said. Last year, the program trained 5.7 million students, estimated to be about 10 percent of the K-12 universe, and they hope to double that to 11 million per year.
'We're just everywhere that we can possibly be,' Hockley said, 'so that people realize that this isn't a hopeless issue, that there are actions that everyone can take. And if you're not an activist, that's okay. But everyone can learn warning signs and everyone can have conversations with each other.'
The Post has compiled a database of school shootings since the Columbine, Colorado, shootings in 1999, when two teens killed 13 students and one teacher. Since then, there have been 428 school shootings involving gunfire at a primary or secondary school during school hours. In those shootings, 216 children, educators and other people have been killed, and another 487 have been injured.
Advertisement
Hockley said Sandy Hook Promise uses 'a very strict set of data criteria for us to be able to say this was a validated, credible, planned school shooting attack that was stopped as a result of our program.'
'I come from a marketing background,' Hockley said. 'I didn't know anything about gun violence prevention or school safety when my son was killed at Sandy Hook. But I wanted to make a difference.' She said, 'So many people were focusing on the policy end of gun violence. We decided that we would do more than that.'
The group's anonymous reporting system, which also has a phone app, has received 328,803 tips since 2018, said Aimee Thunberg, head of communications for Sandy Hook Promise. The tips range beyond school shootings, Hockley said, to include substance abuse, bullying and self-harm.
'We've had the entire spectrum of violence against young people and self-harm that come into our crisis center,' Hockley said, 'as a result of training that we did for kids in terms of how to recognize signs of someone who needs help and tell a trusted adult or to use our anonymous reporting system.'
Chase Ferrell, the auxiliary services and safety officer for Johnston County, North Carolina, public schools, said the district of about 37,500 students receives up to 250 referrals a year from the reporting system. He said the call takers at the crisis center in Miami are trained to handle teenagers in crisis, while his staff works quickly with police and school officials.
'It's one of the most proactive tools out there, in my opinion. It allows us to curb incidents before they become crisis situations,' Ferrell said. 'There have been a couple of occasions where we have made a save, if you will, and that was a student that was in the throes of wanting to do self-harm. And we were able to stop it. And if it weren't for that tip line, we may be without a student.'
Advertisement
Ferrell said his school district requires training of all students from grades six through 12 in recognizing, and reporting, situations where a student appears ready to harm others or themselves. 'The first two or three weeks after that training, we get some bogus tips and some things that drive us crazy,' Ferrell said. 'But after that, you really get pertinent information that can be very, very helpful.'
Hockley said Sandy Hook Promise chose education and awareness programs 'because we know that kind of violence prevention has a long historical base of evidence to prove that it works.' One way the group spreads the word is through public service announcements, including a new one featuring a child holding a beloved teddy bear, juxtaposed with the many teddy bears left at the mourning sites of school shootings.
'We had over 60,000 teddy bears that came into Newtown after the tragedy,' Hockley said. 'We don't want teddy bears to be a memorial. We want them to be companions to people. We want to let kids be kids and not have fear of going to school, or fear that they could end up in a school shooting.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Opinion - Trump has rejected police reform. States and localities must take the lead.
Five years after a Minneapolis police officer brutally murdered a handcuffed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for over nine minutes, prompting worldwide protests against wrongful police killings of Black people, the Trump administration has taken a giant step back from police reform. The Justice Department announced in May that it is abandoning agreements reached with police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, Ky., mandating reforms designed to reduce killings, brutality and other police misconduct. The Justice Department is conducting a review to determine if it should drop similar agreements with about a dozen other police departments. On top of this, the Justice Department will end civil rights investigations of alleged criminal conduct by the Louisiana State Police and police departments in Memphis, Mount Vernon, N.Y., Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Trenton, N.J. Thankfully, Minneapolis officials announced that they will abide by their agreement, known as a consent decree, reached with the Justice Department in the closing days of the Biden presidency. But it is absurd to depend on police departments to police themselves. The federal government has a duty to protect people from police who engage in criminal conduct. The dangerous pullback by the Justice Department is likely to result in more wrongful deaths at the hands of police — particularly of Black people and members of other minority groups. A nationwide count by the Washington Post of deadly shootings by police from 2015 through 2024 found that Black people 'are killed by police at more than twice the rate' of white people in America. The number of non-Hispanic whites killed by police was 4,657, compared with 2,484 Black people. Because only 14 percent of the American population is Black, the number of people killed by police annually averaged 6.1 per million of the Black population, compared with 2.5 per million of the white population. There are, of course, times when police must use deadly force to prevent the killing of others. But this wasn't the case with Floyd and many others killed by police. Floyd, who was unarmed, was only suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. As a Black man like Floyd, I have experienced the unfair and harsh treatment some officers give to people who look like us. I've been stopped on the road and detained in front of my home by police several times when doing nothing wrong. I've been ordered out of my home and car to lay on the ground, had guns pointed at me, been handcuffed and been threatened with arrest. I don't think I would be treated this way were it not for the color of my skin. Most police officers never beat, shoot or kill anyone. They risk their lives to keep us safe and deserve our gratitude. But it is naive to believe that officers can do no wrong, that we live in a colorblind society or that there is no such thing as systemic racism. In the wake of the Trump administration's rejection of its duty to protect us all from police misconduct, the job of implementing needed reforms must go to state and local governments that oversee police agencies. Here are some actions they should take. Increase police funding to implement reforms: After Floyd's murder, some progressives adopted the slogan 'defund the police.' That was a mistake. Police departments need more federal, state and local government funding to better train and pay officers and to put more officers on the street to do police work the right way. More funding will make it less likely that police engage in the kind of unlawful violence that killed Floyd and too many others. Polling by CBS in 2022 found only 9 percent of Americans believed providing less funding for police would help prevent violent crime, while 49 percent said more funding for police would do so. A Gallup poll the same year found 89 percent of Americans believed minor or major changes were needed to improve policing — including 87 percent of whites, 90 percent of Hispanics and 95 percent of Blacks. Focus on preventing crime, not just crime response: Putting more cops on the street and having them get out of their patrol cars to build relationships with people and businesses helps officers gather intelligence about bad actors. The increased presence of officers in communities will prevent crime. This is an expensive but necessary step if we are serious about police reform. Independently investigate alleged misconduct: Rather than relying on police departments to police themselves and investigate officers accused of misconduct, states and localities should set up independent commissions to objectively conduct such investigations. Reward good cops and punish bad ones: Officers who report misconduct by colleagues should be rewarded financially and with promotions, while officers acting improperly should be disciplined, including with firing and prosecution when they commit crimes. A national database of fired officers should be established so bad cops can't get hired by departments in other localities. Increase police pay and education requirements: Raising police pay will make it easier to attract well-qualified job applicants. Departments should require every new hire to have at least two years of college and eventually a four-year degree. A 2017 national survey found that about 52 percent of officers had two-year college degrees, about 30 percent had four-year degrees and about 5 percent had graduate degrees. Governing Magazine reported in 2023 that 'research suggests that officers with college degrees generate fewer substantiated complaints and … are less likely to shoot or kill members of the public.' Increase screening of police recruits and veteran officers: Use psychological tests and in-depth interviews to identify those unsuitable for police work because they are too eager to use violence — especially if they feel threatened — or too prejudiced against certain groups. Increase officer training: Better training will make officers better able to do their jobs without resorting to deadly force. This should include training in psychology and mental health to assist officers in dealing with people experiencing a mental health crisis. Alternatively, set up a division of mental health police officers to address incidents where drugs or mental issues are the source of bad conduct. 'One in five fatal police shooting victims may have been experiencing a mental health crisis … at the time of their death,' a federal study of 633 deadly police shootings concluded. These recommendations are all common sense and promote justice and public safety. With the Trump administration abandoning its responsibility to investigate police misconduct and demand reforms, the job passes to state and local governments. Doing so would be a fitting tribute to George Floyd and the many others wrongfully killed by police. A. Scott Bolden is an attorney, former New York state prosecutor, NewsNation contributor and former chair of the Washington, D.C. Democratic Party. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
8 hours ago
- The Hill
Trump has rejected police reform. States and localities must take the lead.
Five years after a Minneapolis police officer brutally murdered a handcuffed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for over nine minutes, prompting worldwide protests against wrongful police killings of Black people, the Trump administration has taken a giant step back from police reform. The Justice Department announced in May that it is abandoning agreements reached with police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, Ky., mandating reforms designed to reduce killings, brutality and other police misconduct. The Justice Department is conducting a review to determine if it should drop similar agreements with about a dozen other police departments. On top of this, the Justice Department will end civil rights investigations of alleged criminal conduct by the Louisiana State Police and police departments in Memphis, Mount Vernon, N.Y., Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Trenton, N.J. Thankfully, Minneapolis officials announced that they will abide by their agreement, known as a consent decree, reached with the Justice Department in the closing days of the Biden presidency. But it is absurd to depend on police departments to police themselves. The federal government has a duty to protect people from police who engage in criminal conduct. The dangerous pullback by the Justice Department is likely to result in more wrongful deaths at the hands of police — particularly of Black people and members of other minority groups. A nationwide count by the Washington Post of deadly shootings by police from 2015 through 2024 found that Black people 'are killed by police at more than twice the rate' of white people in America. The number of non-Hispanic whites killed by police was 4,657, compared with 2,484 Black people. Because only 14 percent of the American population is Black, the number of people killed by police annually averaged 6.1 per million of the Black population, compared with 2.5 per million of the white population. There are, of course, times when police must use deadly force to prevent the killing of others. But this wasn't the case with Floyd and many others killed by police. Floyd, who was unarmed, was only suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. As a Black man like Floyd, I have experienced the unfair and harsh treatment some officers give to people who look like us. I've been stopped on the road and detained in front of my home by police several times when doing nothing wrong. I've been ordered out of my home and car to lay on the ground, had guns pointed at me, been handcuffed and been threatened with arrest. I don't think I would be treated this way were it not for the color of my skin. Most police officers never beat, shoot or kill anyone. They risk their lives to keep us safe and deserve our gratitude. But it is naive to believe that officers can do no wrong, that we live in a colorblind society or that there is no such thing as systemic racism. In the wake of the Trump administration's rejection of its duty to protect us all from police misconduct, the job of implementing needed reforms must go to state and local governments that oversee police agencies. Here are some actions they should take. Increase police funding to implement reforms: After Floyd's murder, some progressives adopted the slogan 'defund the police.' That was a mistake. Police departments need more federal, state and local government funding to better train and pay officers and to put more officers on the street to do police work the right way. More funding will make it less likely that police engage in the kind of unlawful violence that killed Floyd and too many others. Polling by CBS in 2022 found only 9 percent of Americans believed providing less funding for police would help prevent violent crime, while 49 percent said more funding for police would do so. A Gallup poll the same year found 89 percent of Americans believed minor or major changes were needed to improve policing — including 87 percent of whites, 90 percent of Hispanics and 95 percent of Blacks. Focus on preventing crime, not just crime response: Putting more cops on the street and having them get out of their patrol cars to build relationships with people and businesses helps officers gather intelligence about bad actors. The increased presence of officers in communities will prevent crime. This is an expensive but necessary step if we are serious about police reform. Independently investigate alleged misconduct: Rather than relying on police departments to police themselves and investigate officers accused of misconduct, states and localities should set up independent commissions to objectively conduct such investigations. Reward good cops and punish bad ones: Officers who report misconduct by colleagues should be rewarded financially and with promotions, while officers acting improperly should be disciplined, including with firing and prosecution when they commit crimes. A national database of fired officers should be established so bad cops can't get hired by departments in other localities. Increase police pay and education requirements: Raising police pay will make it easier to attract well-qualified job applicants. Departments should require every new hire to have at least two years of college and eventually a four-year degree. A 2017 national survey found that about 52 percent of officers had two-year college degrees, about 30 percent had four-year degrees and about 5 percent had graduate degrees. Governing Magazine reported in 2023 that 'research suggests that officers with college degrees generate fewer substantiated complaints and … are less likely to shoot or kill members of the public.' Increase screening of police recruits and veteran officers: Use psychological tests and in-depth interviews to identify those unsuitable for police work because they are too eager to use violence — especially if they feel threatened — or too prejudiced against certain groups. Increase officer training: Better training will make officers better able to do their jobs without resorting to deadly force. This should include training in psychology and mental health to assist officers in dealing with people experiencing a mental health crisis. Alternatively, set up a division of mental health police officers to address incidents where drugs or mental issues are the source of bad conduct. 'One in five fatal police shooting victims may have been experiencing a mental health crisis … at the time of their death,' a federal study of 633 deadly police shootings concluded. These recommendations are all common sense and promote justice and public safety. With the Trump administration abandoning its responsibility to investigate police misconduct and demand reforms, the job passes to state and local governments. Doing so would be a fitting tribute to George Floyd and the many others wrongfully killed by police. A. Scott Bolden is an attorney, former New York state prosecutor, NewsNation contributor and former chair of the Washington, D.C. Democratic Party.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Who Is The Punisher? 6 Takeaways From the Exotic Dancer's Diddy Testimony
Exotic dancer Sharay Hayes, known as The Punisher, made headlines when he testified at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial. Hayes claimed in the Tuesday, May 20, courtroom that he was hired for the first time in 2012 to participate in one of Diddy's alleged 'freak offs.' Hayes testified that he was hired to create a 'sexy scene' for Diddy and Cassie, who were in an on and off relationship from 2007 to 2018. Hayes testified that he was told to meet Cassie (real name Casandra Ventura) at New York City's Trump Tower on Central Park West where he assumed he was being hired to perform for a group of women. He claimed he was paid $800 in cash upon arrival. Hayes alleged that Cassie met him at the door in a bathrobe and wig, proceeding to tell him that the 'sexy scene' would involve the two of them 'mutually applying' baby oil on each other. Hayes claimed he was told by Cassie that her partner would join them, but he was unaware of her or Diddy's identity at the time. 'I was specifically told to not acknowledge her husband,' Hayes alleged. Hayes testified that a nude man wearing a veil, who he claimed to be Diddy, entered the room and masturbated in the corner while watching. He claimed that Cassie and the man left the room after about half an hour. When Cassie came back, she allegedly asked Hayes whether he wanted to 'finish' and he declined. He claimed he was paid an additional $1,200 and left the hotel. News broke in September 2024 that Diddy was arrested in September 2024 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied all of the allegations against him. 'We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney's Office,' Diddy's attorney Marc Agnifilo said in a statement at the time. 'He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.' Diddy has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn following his arrest, with his four requests for bail denied by Judge Arun Subramanian. Scroll down to see more takeaways from The Punisher's testimony: Hayes explained that he received the moniker as a teenager because of his style of play on the basketball court. Hayes testified that he is the author of a self-help book, titled In Search of Freezer Meat, about his experiences with erectile dysfunction. Hayes explained that the book delves into his journey with his condition and is 'real, genuine, medical advice but framed through his story. Per the Washington Post, Hayes noted that he 'tried to make light' of the issue in an effort to be relatable. 'What's harder than freezer meat?' Hayes said in the courtroom. Hayes claimed that six and a half pages out of the 182 pages in his book mentioned Diddy and Cassie — but they were not referenced by name. Instead, Hayes referred to them as a married, wealthy couple. 'Point of the story was to pinpoint my anxiety … not necessarily the details of the story,' he said. 'I sensationalized it to make an entertaining story for the book.' Male Escort Nicknamed 'The Punisher' Testifies He Was Hired for a Dozen Diddy Freak Offs The website for Hayes' exotic dancing services, reads, 'In the spirit of such as Chippendales, Getpunished is an upscale option for black and latin women to celebrate there [sic] intimate occasions with the men they want to see. Getpunished is high energy, completely choreographed, audience participation male revue where your wildest fantasies will become reality!' Hayes testified that he's now the co-owner of Hunk-o Mania, an exotic dancer company. After the first time, Hayes claimed he participated in about eight to 12 more freak offs with Diddy and Cassie — and eventually uncovered who they were because he followed the rap mogul on Instagram and recognized Cassie in one of the images. Sean 'Diddy' Combs Is on Trial in NYC: Daily Updates From Inside the Courtroom When the defense highlighted how Hayes expressed in his first government meeting that he started growing feelings for Cassie, Hayes replied, 'That might've been taken out of context because that's not true.' 'It's very important for me to read the room,' he said, adding that he does not dry hump or perform with any woman who is uncomfortable. Hayes testified that he does not do any drugs, claiming he would pull a 'Bill Clinton' and pretend to take a puff from a joint but not inhale if handed one. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
