From the Training:
Assess & Progress: Spotting & Stopping the School Shooter

In January 2026, a student brought a handgun to Hayes Middle School in St. Albans, West Virginia.

Later that afternoon, around 3:15 p.m., the gun was discovered on a school bus. A teacher immediately confiscated it and turned it over to school staff. The firearm had been stolen the night before.

The key issue in this case isn’t what happened, but what didn’t happen.

The gun was first reported earlier that morning, around 8:30 a.m. A student told a teacher’s aide that he had seen the student with the gun and that it had been pointed at someone at school. According to investigators, the aide never reported the information to school officials or law enforcement. 

Because staff members are required to report threats involving weapons, the aide was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor for failing to report a firearm. 

Her court date is set for March 26, 2026.

Thankfully no one was injured.
But the situation highlights something important for school leaders. 

One person not doing what they should—the right thing, the required thing—can make everyone else vulnerable to violence. It was not skill that protected this school. It was luck. And while we’ll take luck, we cannot rely on it. 

The student didn’t simply hide a gun in a backpack. He showed it to others and pointed it at another student. That is extremely aggressive and deeply disturbing behavior. That piece of the puzzle should have compelled immediate lifesaving action.

It also has to be said that the student who reported seeing the weapon did exactly what we ask students to do. If you see something, say something. He did. The system worked at that level. A student came forward with critical information. That’s a big win and I hope that student was recognized for doing the right thing. 

The failure came afterward. 

The school wasn’t just put in grave danger. These types of failures have a lingering effect. It damages trust, raises fear, and harms school culture. It sends several terrible messages—such as that some adults may not be trustworthy and that reporting dangerous behavior may not matter because nothing will happen anyway. 

On a personal note, it’s hard to believe we’re still dealing with this kind of stuff in 2026. We should be far beyond this. Yet incidents like this continue to happen. 

So the question becomes:
what should a principal do after something like this? 

Here are a few things I would do immediately. 

Incidents like this are a stark reminder of something simple but important. 

Preventing violence rarely fails because no one knew anything. It usually fails because the information wasn’t given to the people who needed to hear it. 

For school leaders, the lesson is clear. We must build cultures where information is shared without delay, reporting is simple, and every adult understands that passing along a concern is not optional—it’s an obligation and a required part of protecting the school community. 

Here is a sample email script you can send to your staff. 

Email Subject: What To Do When a Student Reports Something 

Hi Everyone,

I want to take a moment to remind you what to do when a student reports a concern to you. 

If a student tells you about a weapon, threat, concerning behavior, or anything that makes you uneasy, please report it immediately. Even if it seems small, uncertain, or second-hand, pass the information along immediately. 

Here’s the simple process: 

1. Report it immediately — do not wait to see if it develops or try to investigate it yourself. 

2. Contact [Principal/Assistant Principal/SRO] right away by [phone, radio, or direct message].

3. Keep it simple and share exactly what you were told and the name of the student who reported it. 

Please remember that small pieces of information are often the missing piece of a much bigger puzzle. What seems minor in one conversation can become critically important when combined with other information. 

Also, when a student speaks up, thank them. Students who report concerns are helping protect their classmates and our school community. 

Your cooperation in passing information along quickly is one of the most important parts of keeping our school safe. 

Thank you for everything you do every day.  

[Name]