“I Was Almost a School Shooter…”

Born to a criminal and violent family and raised in an abusive home, Aaron Stark became a toxic young man, spiraling into deep depression and anger. His attempts to reach out for help were not only unhelpful but actually destructive, and he almost committed a mass attack. The one thing that saved him was a close friend, Mike, who treated Aaron with kindness “when I felt totally inhuman.”

Today, Aaron is happily married to Becky Sutherland and is a father of four. He travels the country speaking at conferences and events and has been featured on multiple national and international news channels including MSNBC, CNN and The Washington Post. Aaron’s vital TED talk, "I Was Almost a School Shooter," currently has over 14 million views.

Following Aaron’s presentation, Thom Jones, Senior Vice President of Threat Detection & Prevention, will outline additional steps that schools and districts can take to improve safety and student wellness, including:

• Best practices for early identification & intervention for students in crisis
• The value of integrated threat detection & prevention tools designed to help students get the support they need
• Why a whole-child approach that includes Suicide Awareness & Prevention, Behavioral Threat Assessment, Social-Emotional Learning, and Restorative Practices is more critical than ever

This webinar is in partnership with the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators and will feature information on the MASA School Safety Summit on May 2nd in Lansing, Michigan.