Expert warns social media is fueling school violence threats

WASHINGTON (7News) — Threats of violence in schools are raising fresh concerns for parents and administrators across the DMV region.

In early February, a shooting inside Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, put school safety back in the spotlight. A Gaithersburg teen is now facing charges after allegedly making threats on Instagram against the same school.

In Fairfax County, Virginia, concerns mounted after a student accused of making violent threats against a middle school was readmitted following a suspension.

James Densley, co-founder of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center, says while school shootings are trending downward nationally, threats of violence are increasing.

“Unfortunately, a firearm actually enters into a K-12 school in the United States every day,” Densley said. “The good news is that actual shootings are trending downward, but that follows record highs around the time of the pandemic.”

Depending on how incidents are defined, Densley said there could be hundreds of cases involving firearms in schools each year.

He attributes the decline of shootings to a broader drop in community violence since the pandemic. However, he warns that threats, particularly those made online, are becoming more common.

“A lot of threats of school violence are increasing, particularly with the rise of social media and AI,” Densley said. “It’s a lot easier to send a threat now.”

Densley says the most effective prevention strategy is not necessarily metal detectors or security cameras, but early intervention.

“School violence is often perpetrated by current or former students,” he said. “That means schools have eyes and ears on these students every day.”

He recommends behavioral threat assessment systems, which allow educators to identify concerning behavior and connect students with support services before a situation escalates.

“What we’ve got to do better at is paying attention to the human beings rights in front of us,” Densley said.

The issue of parental responsibility has also drawn attention, particularly following recent cases in which parents have faced charges after their children carried out school shootings.

Densley says secure firearm storage and limiting access to weapons are critical steps families can take.

“If you’ve got somebody in your life that you’re concerned about, that’s the time to make sure they are separated from firearms,” he said.