Could Future School Shootings Like Perry be Prevented?

**BONUS POST** Iowa Department of Public Safety releases new information on the January 4 school shooting in Perry but offers scant concrete ideas on how to prevent the next one.

“I think we like to believe that our love and our understanding [are] protective and that if anything were wrong, with MY kids, I would know. But I didn’t know. And I wasn’t able to stop [him] hurting other people. I wasn’t able to stop [him] hurting himself. And it is very hard to live with that.” Sue Klebold interview with Diane Sawyer, ABC Good Morning America, February 12, 2016

In 2016, Sue Kebold, mother of one of two Columbine shooters who killed 15 and injured 24 at their high school in 1999 released a book and spoke publicly for the first time about the signs in her son that she missed that could have indicated that he intended to harm himself and others.

Her public appearances and the book were met with criticism from those who felt speaking of the mass shooting in a way that proffered sympathy for the perpetrators or their families was disrespectful to the memories of the lives lost and to those who survived the shooting. But we do have something to learn from Sue Kebold’s words and we should think about how it is entirely possible for even the most involved, caring and loving parents to miss signs of mental illness and violent intent in their own children.

Iowa Department of Public Safety Misses the Mark

Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens’s report on the January 4, 2024 school shooting in Perry, Iowa, a town of a little over 8,000 in the middle of the state, fell short last Friday, when he placed the onus on parents to “be a parent” by setting limits on screen time and watching to see if their child may have a serious mental health disorder. Neither of these directives, nor most of the other suggestions Bayens offered are as effective at preventing school shootings as keeping firearms out of the hands of teens, something he added as a near-afterthought.

Bayens noted that Perry’s school shooter carried a pump-action shotgun and a revolver, the latter of which he did not use, along with a knife and a rudimentary IED. The revolver was known to have come from the home of the shooter’s parents. The shotgun, which was last sold more than a decade ago in a private sale, was believed to be part of a large gun cache belonging to an extended family member. The shotgun was also accessible to the shooter.

If we are going to get serious about preventing school shootings, we need to get serious adults’ responsibility to lock up their guns.

Focusing on the Wrong Things Has a Cost

The fact is, the amount of time children spend on screens and various types of video games, movies, and social media have been extensively studied and have failed to show significant causal proof of school shootings. Children and teens around the world have smartphones, play first-person-shooter games, and spend time on social media yet the United States is the only country with pervasive school shootings. The only difference? We are a nation awash in easily-accessible guns.

Parents are ill-equipped and far too untrained to distinguish between typical adolescent angst and something far more serious and violent; in point of fact, even trained medical and mental health professionals can misdiagnose or overlook concerning symptoms.

The FBI could only verify that 25% of active shooters in the study had ever been diagnosed with a mental illness. Of those diagnosed, only three had been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder.

From: A Study of Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States Between 2000 and 2013

This report, covering active shooter incidents in the United States between 2000 and 2013, examines specific behaviors that may precede an attack and that might be useful in identifying, assessing, and managing those who may be on a pathway to violence.

Teens can be very adept at hiding things from parents, especially when highly motivated to do so. In many ways, a drive for privacy and independence is a typical part of the maturation process as children move to adulthood. At the same time, a child who is struggling with mental health issues may deliberately isolate themselves from friends and family in a way that might look like typical teen independence but could in fact be a red flag that a child is having a hard time. But how are parents with no education or background in mental health supposed to know the difference? The answer is, we can’t.

For active shooters under age 18, school peers and teachers were more likely to observe concerning behaviors than family members. (emphasis added)

From: A Study of Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States Between 2000 and 2013

Like Klebold had been, many parents are solidly convinced they would immediately pick up on clues their child is struggling but it is perhaps this exact mindset that is the most challenging to overcome when it comes to preventing tragedy. We think we know what a “struggling teen” looks like but any parent whose child has died by suicide, had an unplanned pregnancy, developed an eating disorder, committed a crime, is self-harming, or who ran away can tell you — struggles can be well-hidden from even the most caring parents.

Counting on parents’ capacity to recognize and act on mental health concerns in their kids is not an effective safety plan for stopping school shootings. But locking up firearms in homes is.

This doesn’t give parents permission to check out from paying attention to what is going on in their child’s life. Quite the opposite, in fact. The vast majority of mass shooters do show behavioral warning signs before they act. Shooters in both Columbine and Perry had exhibited behavior that drew the attention of friends and teachers. While watching for concerning behavior is crucial, those red flags often do not show up until the child has already made a plan and has taken steps toward carrying those plans out. If we wait until the signs become glaringly apparent, it could be too late.

So what is a caring and concerned parent to do and how should the Iowa Department of Public Safety spokesperson have advised parents to address this issue?

Lock Up Your Damn Guns

Over 50 percent of firearms in the United States are currently unsecured. That means when you send your kid over to a friend’s house for a sleepover or a playdate, there is a greater than 1 in 2 chance your child is playing near an unsecured gun. And chances are, that gun is loaded.

Fully eighty percent of school shooters acquired their guns from the home of a relative or friend so if you are a gun owner, YOU can have the biggest impact on reducing school shootings by locking up your firearms and storing the ammunition separately. Locking up firearms to stop school shootings is inexpensive (many police departments offer free gun locks), it is easy, and it is effective. YOU can be part of the solution. Locking up firearms reduces the risk of unintentional shootings and suicide, too. In a nation where firearms are the leading cause of death for children, we have to do more.

DPS should implore Iowans to safely store firearms, distribute information on safe storage statewide, and help parents find access to free or low-cost gun locks. This information could also be shared by pediatricians, public libraries, schools, community centers and religious organizations.

Sadly, parents aren’t always the best at determining if their child is in crisis and even for those who are able to identify their child is struggling, there are many barriers to accessing treatment including Iowa’s mental health care deserts. Currently 82 of Iowa’s 99 counties face shortages in mental health providers.

Guns should be locked up before a family member is in crisis. If you believe you would notice if your child were struggling — ask yourself if you’re willing to bet their life on it.

• For more information about safe firearm storage, visit Be Smart for Kids

• If you or a loved one are struggling with thoughts of harming yourself or others, please reach out to the Suicide Hotline by text or phone call by dialing 988 or visit 988 Life Line online

• For mental health resources in Iowa visit Your Life Iowa

• To find free gun locks in Polk County (Iowa) visit Polk County Department of Health