This Week in School and Campus Safety

Good morning,

This Weekly Update by the Illinois School and Campus Safety Program links to the National Threat Assessment Center's new case study on the link between domestic violence and mass attacks, shares information on the Invent2Prevent program and an upcoming session of the NASRO Basic SRO Course being held in Normal, and promotes upcoming sessions of Campus Threat Assessment and Management and Threat Assessment Team Training.

Thank you for your interest in school and campus safety. However, if you wish to no longer receive our emails, let me know and I will remove you from our contacts list.

Respectfully,

Laura Black

le-black@wiu.edu

Program Coordinator

Illinois School and Campus Safety Program

NTAC Case Study - First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs: A Case Study on the Link Between Domestic Violence and Mass Attacks

Content Advisory: Before reading the linked case study, please note the content in the report may be distressing. The top of page 3 of the report includes a disclaimer listing the topics within that may be distressing to certain audiences. We encourage readers to review the disclaimer before proceeding with reading the case study.

The National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) recently released the report First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs: A Case Study on the Link Between Domestic Violence and Mass Attacks, which "is intended to assist communities in identifying, assessing, and managing individuals of concern before they engage in acts of targeted violence." Additionally, the "case study is specifically intended to highlight the link between domestic violence and mass casualty violence. Like some other mass attackers, the perpetrator of the First Baptist Church shooting had a long history of committing domestic violence. In a study of mass attacks in public spaces that occurred within a five-year period, NTAC found that 41% of the mass attackers had a history of domestic violence. While these histories included violence against children or parents, the majority involved violence against intimate partners."

The 40-page case study is an overview of the perpetrator's life from childhood through death, offering a "detailed summary of the background, thinking, and behaviors" of the perpetrator. It includes everything from detailing abuse, violence, and threats while in school, during his time in the military, and within his marriages, to noting missed opportunities where actions could have been take to help prevent tragedy.

There's Still Time to Register!

Campus Threat Assessment and Management

May 21-22nd in Quincy, IL

There's still time to register for the Campus Threat Assessment and Management class May 21-22, 2025, in Quincy, IL.

This two-day workshop for K-12 and higher education will help participants to better understand the dynamics of targeted violence and to develop and enhance strategies for early identification, assessment, and intervention with concerning situations.

For more information and to register, click here.

Threat Assessment Team Training in

East Moline, IL June 5-6

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of the Threat Assessment Team Training class is being held in East Moline, IL June 5-6, 2025.

This comprehensive 2-day K-12 training on multidisciplinary, community-based threat assessment teams provides a history and background of threat assessment, targeted violence, threat assessment research, risk factors, and behavioral indicators of those who are intending to commit targeted violence against others. It also provides training on the concept and advantages of a community-based, multidisciplinary threat assessment system, team dynamics, threat assessment process, and management principles.

For more information and to register, click here.

Upcoming Session of the NASRO Basic SRO Course Being Held in Normal

The Law and Justice Commission MTU 8, in partnership with the Illinois School Resource Officers Association, is hosting a session of the NASRO Basic School Resource Officer Course July 21-25, 2025, in Normal, IL. This week-long training is "designed to prepare school resource officers, other law enforcement officers, and school safety professionals to fulfill their roles in the school setting effectively. School administrators and education professionals would also benefit from this course."

For more information and to register, click here.

Registration Open for Illinois Invent2Prevent

Illinois high schools are invited to participate in Invent2Prevent, a free school safety and prevention program. "Illinois Invent2Prevent challenges high school students to create and implement peer-developed initiatives, products, and tools to prevent targeted violence in ways they think will be most effective in making their schools and communities safer." For more information and to register a team, see the attached flyer.

2025 ILSROA School Safety Conference June 18-20, 2025

The 2025 ILSROA School Safety Conference is being held June 18-20th in Normal, IL. The registration fee for the 3-day conference is $275, which includes all training materials, daily breakfast, and a 1-year ILSROA membership. There is also a 1-Day Only Pass option for $100 for school administrators and school district personnel who are unable to attend all 3 days. For more information and to register, click here.