See something, say something

 

Likely we have all heard "If you see something, say something." And likely too many don't know what the "something" is that should be reported, or who to report it to.

The something is out-of-character behavior or words from an individual. One aspect of their behavior may not mean much, but if there are enough changes in someone's behavior or they seem to be increasingly interested in violence, who idolize previous perpetrators of violence, who are amassing weapons, talking about weapons, in a way that seems out of character for that individual, and if their behavior seems to be deteriorating, then saying something would be the best course of action.

If we hear a person detailing what he is thinking or says he is intending to do, that should be reported. If we notice an acquaintance or family member collecting weapons, abusing animals, whose mental health may be collapsing, that should be reported. These mass shooters generally plan their attacks for weeks, months, and, in the case of the Columbine shooters, for over a year. During that time they often leave a trail of clues and actions that should arouse suspicion, and be reported. Paying attention to the people around us can go a long way to helping avert these horrific shootings. "As we go about our daily lives, many have their faces stuck in their phones, tuning out the world around them. And right under our distracted noses, there may be someone planning to commit a crime, right in plain sight. But we don’t pay attention to our surroundings, we don’t practice situational awareness." Paying attention can pay off

"Individuals engage in preparation activities, such as acquiring their weapon(s), ammunition, and other elements (e.g., body armor). It is at this point that they may also craft manifestos or other legacy tokens or give away personal belongings. Since these behaviors are often noticeable, which could lead to the plan being thwarted, individuals may become more isolated during this stage of the process." 

Who to tell? If it is at school, teach your child to tell a teacher or other adult he may feel comfortable reporting to, but to do it in a way that doesn't bring attention to the child.  If it turns out to be nothing, the child could be retaliated against. The child, if he doesn't feel comfortable reporting at school, should be encouraged to tell parents, who can then contact the school and law enforcement. 

Children are often told not to tattle, so teach them the difference between telling and tattling. Telling is reporting a dangerous situation; tattling is generally to get someone in trouble. I even had to explain to my son's teachers throughout his school years that there is a difference between telling and tattling; they would often cut the kids off when someone was attempting to tell about a possibly dangerous situation, or that one child was hurting another. And I taught my son to say to a teacher or other adult "I have something important to report," and to never tattle. 

Likewise, in a workplace situation we may overhear, or be told, that someone is planning on violence, or broadly hinting at violence. This is called "leakage," and should always be reported. It may be nothing, it may be something. Leakage description: "Leakage in the context of threat assessment is the communication to a third party of an intent to do harm to a target. Third parties are usually other people, but the means of communication vary, and include letters, diaries, journals, blogs, videos on the internet, emails, voice mails, and other social media forms of transmission. Leakage is a type of warning behavior that typically infers a preoccupation with the target, and may signal the research, planning, and implementation of an attack."

If the worker feels confident that their boss wouldn't take it seriously, then law enforcement should be informed. Perhaps consider contacting law enforcement anyway to make sure the proper authorities can make an assessment to see if something more is warranted.

Recently someone in the workplace did hear something, and reported it. The suspect was arrested:

"Aceves reportedly told the colleague that it would be a good idea to pull a fire alarm to get people outside to commit a mass shooting, then stating that he would be the one doing the shooting.

The coworker told police Aceves considered the Uvalde school shooter “an idol”.  The television station reported the suspect also told the colleague he knows what school “to go to and shoot up” when he learned where his coworker’s kids attended school."

The RAND Corporation put this warning signs graphic:

When hearing something you may think should be reported, do so safely and discreetly. Don't be loud about it; don't tell the person you will be reporting him; it could provoke him to attack you. Don't try to assess if it is "something" or "not something." That's not our job; that's a job for law enforcement. It's our job to report, not assess. 

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