(WWJ) As the community mourns three young people killed in a mass shooting at Michigan State, people across the U.S. are asking: How do we stop this from happening again?
University of Michigan Associate Professor Justin Heinze, an expert on school safety, says schools can utilize social media in a way to identify problems early, and intervene.
"Up to 90% of those who end up perpetrating severe violence within schools tell somebody that they're struggling, or that they're considering some of these things," said Heinze.
"And social media is one of the ways that youth are communicating," he said. "But it can also happen within peer conversation; it can happen in classrooms."
Speaking live on WWJ Newsradio 950 on Wednesday, Heinze ran down some of the most common prevention strategies.
"Developing social/emotional learning and anti-bullying programs, things related to threat assessment or screening programs to try to identify some of the concerning behaviors upstream before they ever manifest in practice."
Heinze said that while identifying concerning behaviors is a good first step, having a plan and training in place ahead of an active situation is a critical piece.
Some important things school officials should consider, he said, include:
"How can we work with things like 'OK to Say' and anonymous reporting systems? How are we able to identify a concern and intervene quickly? So, how are schools coordinating with law enforcement to make sure that first responders can response quickly and appropriately if there is an event?"
Heinze said at time of an event, it's about having a reporting system to identify a concern and intervene quickly with police. Afterwards, the concern becomes helping students who experienced the traumatic event.
A total of eight MSU students were shot, three of them fatally, when police say 43-year-old Anthony McRae showed up with a gun Monday night on the East Lansing campus.
Investigators say McRae targeted this victims in Berkey Hall, where classes were in session, and then in the MSU Union. It's still unclear why he did it, police say, as he had no known connection to the university.
McRae shot and killed himself as he was confronted by officers at around midnight. Five wounded students remained hospitalized on Wednesday.
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