December 24, 2025 • 40 mins
Just blocks from the White House, a quiet act of service ended in tragedy.
Two young National Guard members were ambushed; one was killed instantly, and another was left in critical condition.
This week on Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes Dr. Sunny Slaughter to reflect on what happened that day and what it reveals about leadership, language, and the power of restraint.
Together, they explore how hate takes root, why communication can be a matter of life and death, and what it truly means to serve with empathy when the world feels like it’s falling apart.
Highlights:
• (0:00) Sheryl McCollum reveals Zone 7’s 2026 return to weekly episodes and the kickoff. of the 10-8 Tour
• (1:00) Welcome to Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum and guest Dr. Sunny Slaughter
• (4:15) The ambush that killed Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically injured Andrew Wolfe, 24
• (7:00) How compassion, not politics, defines law enforcement and military duty
• (10:00) “Take the temperature down to zero”: Dr. Slaughter’s warning against political violence
• (12:30) Dr. Slaughter’s experience teaching “lens, language, and law” and why empathy is operational readiness
• (17:00) Service as calling, not career: advice for the next generation of guardsmen and officers
• (20:45) Sheryl and Dr. Slaughter on gratitude, resilience, and learning through hardship
• (27:00) Finding meaning after loss and the power of service on purpose• (30:00) Preparing for crisis: why every law enforcement professional must plan for the unexpected
• (35:00) The Florida eviction tragedy and how quickly crisis can turn fatal
• (36:15) Final reflections: honoring the National Guard members through unity, compassion, and continued service
Guest Bio
Dr. Sunny Slaughter is a law enforcement instructor, expert witness and crisis communication strategist who specializes in counterterrorism, extremism, and emerging threats.
As CEO of Sunny Slaughter Consulting and founder of the Sunny Slaughter Group, she helps agencies nationwide build crisis-ready leadership. A former military spouse and longtime advocate for justice and public safety, Dr. Slaughter has served as a U.S. Department of Homeland Security instructor and continues to guide federal, state, and local agencies in strengthening community resilience.
About the Host
Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a Metro Atlanta Police Department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than 4 decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing.
Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her "Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta" and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.
Social Links:
• Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
• Twitter: @149zone7
• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
• Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire.
Preorder Sheryl’s upcoming book, "Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Lessons in Life, Justice, and Joy from a Forensic Scientist," releasing May 2026 from Simon and Schuster.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Y'all. The new year is fast approaching, and I am
telling you twenty twenty six, we got big plans over
here at Zone seven. We are going back to once
a week releases. Now listen before y'all get upset, Doctor
Priya and Josh are going nowhere. What we're gonna do
(00:21):
is once a month, have them with us, and it's
going to be incredible. But you also have the opportunity
to meet them in person. In twenty twenty six, that's right, honey,
we are hitting the road. Zone seven is teaming up
with Body Bags and Crime Stories and we are doing
(00:44):
a national tour called the ten eight Tour. We're kicking
this thing off in Atlanta, January twenty third, twenty twenty six,
at the original Zone seven Manual's Tavern. Good stuff coming up,
see y'all in twenty twenty six. Doctor Sonny Slaughter, y'all.
(01:15):
She is a law enforcement instructor, an expert witness, a
TV commentator, and a crisis communication strategist. Let me tell
you how important her work is. It centers on emerging
threads and crisis ready decision making. This is my favorite
(01:39):
thing about her. She turns complexity into clarity. Listen. Now
complexity into clarity, and that's what we need tonight, Doctor Slaughter, Sonny,
welcome to Zone seven.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
It is and honor to be on with you. My
admiration for you personally and professionally is at one hundred
percent plus, Okay, So I am deeply honored to be
on with you, to be on Zone seven. I follow you,
I listen, and it is an absolute pleasure and thank
(02:21):
you for having me.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Are you kidding? Listen? I could take the rest of
our time tonight and talk about how I adore you,
admire you, want to be more like you.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
There is so much.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
That you give and show and teach every day and
it's incredible to me how you keep up with all
that you do and it looks flawless every single time,
every single time. So I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
That is just by the greace. Okay. You know from
all of your years and this work that it's not
about religion. It is about faith in yourself, belief in
the work and the purpose that you have and showing
up and to make making it look easy even though
(03:13):
the work is heavy and it can be hard and
it is challenging. I think you know you someone that
I admire the guests that you've had on and the
others that work in this space with us. It is
it isn't calling, a very unique calling. And you know,
sometimes I always tell people if everybody and anybody could
(03:36):
do it, they wouldn't even want to do it, because
it is a heavy lift to be responsible for showing
up and trying to make a difference, even though you
have so many things in your own life going on.
(03:57):
So thank you for your service, thank you your listening
audience for their capacity to continue to go and grow
at you. And I'm just deeply honored. As I said.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Earlier, y'all see why I love her, I told y'all,
And tonight it's so important to me to have you.
Because two National Guard members were shot November twenty sixth,
just after two o'clock. Both were from West Virginia. They
were shot at close range, real near the White House.
(04:33):
I mean, this was a straight up ambush. It was
a straight up targeted murder, and you know, both in
their twenties. I mean, I just couldn't think of anybody
better to walk us through this. Let's talk about the crisis,
Let's talk about maybe going forward, some positive things that
can be put in place, some things that need to
(04:55):
be put in place. But you know, I've got a
lot of questions for you, but I'm going to let
you lead us. So you know, we know, you know,
Sarah Beckstrom was twenty she died, and Andrew Wolf twenty
four is still in critical condition. And the third you know,
soldier that was with them returned fire, but again was
(05:20):
in that battle right there.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
You know, I live in the area I am. I'm
fifteen minutes from the Whitehouse, a place that I have
been numerous times for work to engage in that area
regularly the same path that they were walking I have walked.
And when I heard about what happened, it was deeply disturbing.
(05:54):
And to understand that these two very young individuals, for
three of my four adult children are in their twenties,
actually they're in their mid twenties, and these two very young,
very dedicated public servants were gunned down in such a
(06:20):
horrific way in the nation's capital. And they were there
because they have a calling and had a calling to
serve in government to protect our communities. And it's hard
(06:43):
to talk and think about Sarah, who had just been
sworn in recently left her family to come here to
protect the community and the people here. We are in
such a critical crisis at a time when compassion must
(07:06):
be high for those that are in uniform, for those
who are serving, and for those who choose to protect
us because they don't have to.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
And they don't have to. And let's talk about Sarah
for a second. She volunteered to do this tour so
that other people with children could go home for Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Right, I mean, she's young, She was committed, and she
already understood the value of family because that's how she
was raised. She believed that others it was a selfless
(07:53):
act and then then the selfishness of an individual. And
we still know line to take such drastic measures. You know,
I studied hate crimes and extremism while as an instructor
(08:18):
with the US Department of Homeland Security FLEXING. I was
allowed to go and do training that was for sworn
law enforcement only, And it was the hate and Extremism class,
which wasn't just like a class for one day or
a class for one week. It was a college course.
It was deeply embedded in understanding the actions and the
(08:41):
response necessary to address threats extremism, terrorism and things like that.
And now more than ever, I find that the work
and the lens of what I was taught, and you know,
in interacting with my classmates is more critical. Now I've
(09:01):
been focused for the last several years on national security issues,
traveling around with members of the Senate, members of Congress,
and if folks want to know who I travel with,
I work with everyone. I don't. I don't tick a side.
(09:21):
I stay out of the weeds of the politics. And
I have no problem at all correcting anyone, including our
elected officials, about their language, how insightful and incendiary it
can be. Pray all so there is no leftists, no
(09:45):
right and on no aisles. I stole down the middle
on conversations like this and in rooms, I am unafraid.
I am unbossed, unbought, and very critical that everyone needs
to take the temperature down to zero and stop citing
(10:07):
the violence, the political violence, see the propaganda and which
makes people like Sarah and Andrew, those Gothlic servants, law
enforcement and others political pawns and puts them in the
(10:28):
direct line of fire, which is what happened on that
particular day when they were just walking in the community.
I loved what you said.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
You are unbought, You're not afraid, you are not gonna
just be intimidated. That's what it takes. But you do
more than that when you are at that table. The
people you're speaking for, I don't even know if they
realize you've got somebody calm, intelligent, with a heart, Sonny,
(11:07):
because again, you're not just talking about Sarah like, well
there was somebody shot in DC. No, you're understanding her.
You're wanting to, you know, give homage to her parents
the way they raised her, to let people know, hey,
she was putting family first and not her own but
(11:28):
somebody else's. Any job, but especially your job. Leading with
a heart, a heart for all people is incredible, and
that's the only way to break down this hate.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
You know, Sarah and Andrew could be my children. Forget race,
forget faith, forget all of the other things that we
think matter. They were my children, and I say were
because Sarah is no longer with us. Andrew could still
(12:09):
be my child. He is fighting for his life. The
other guardsman who took fire and tried to protect them
and did an excellent job, could still be my child.
And when we take the hate and the lens off.
(12:31):
I teach something called lens language and law. When you
take the lens and you turn it in the right
direction towards humanity, then we are family, regardless of all
of the other factors that sometimes people think separate us,
and I say think separate us because we focus. There
(12:53):
are individuals who focus more, but sometimes we focus too
much on those. This incident was so much moving to me,
I decided to write I've been writing LinkedIn articles because
I found from those that you know follow me, listen
(13:13):
to me that although I could do a video, it
is the writing that allows me to really take a
deep dive. And because I've always written and kind of
break things down, I am teaching and all of these
(13:34):
things become teachable moments and I want people to have
I write on the laptop or the computer, but I
still also write using pen and pay for own school stuff.
We have to move our society past the hate that
(13:56):
we are experiencing. It is not about an indie vial,
it's not even about me, but it is about what
I am called to do. And I realized, based on
the feedback that I keep getting from FOSS is that
they are learning. People still want to learn, They still
(14:16):
want to understand all of the things that are impacting us,
and the articles and the writing and the commentary becomes
a communication tool for better understanding and what I thought about,
what happened, what all of the other things are happening.
(14:43):
It was important to add contexts and layers and understanding.
I am always a law enforcement instructor, so to tie
the two together, and I was a military wife. I
take all of the my experiences and kind of pushed
them out in the world. I am a former military
(15:05):
wife Navy for years a decade. I come from a
family of service members across every branch, going back to
my grandfather and my grand and my grandfather's father, a
long line that still served today National Guards in every capacity,
(15:29):
including the Coastguard. So I find it incredibly personal that
two young people who have dedicated their life to service
could be viciously attacked in the nation's capital, which has
a lot of law enforcement in the area. And then
(15:55):
you get mixed messaging about whether law enforcement and public
safety professionals collaborate, communicate and move forward with the work. Well,
everyone else is talking about politics and policing, and in
the profession. Those that do the work are just getting
(16:19):
it done. Nobody's saying, are you Republican? Are you Democrat?
Are you right on? Now? I was talking about you
do you pray? How do you worship? That's not the
conversations that are going on with those that do the
actual work. Whether you're sworn or non sworn, everybody is
(16:42):
working towards mission ready, safety, security, public service, and ensuring
that our democracy and humanity hold together.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Would you tell law enforcement today, what would you tell
the next group of soldiers that are headed to DC.
And you know a lot of people like to say, well,
keep your head on a swivel, watch your six, but
really give them something to ponder, to really put into practice,
to look out for their fellow person the way that
(17:21):
they need to while looking out for themselves.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
If you have joined the National Guards law enforcement in
any area of public safety, your first priority is to
protect and serve and protection and service to your colleagues,
(17:47):
to your communities, and to the country. And you have
to take no one wants to take this job and
take this work on as a job and work when
it's really about the calling and your commitment to others.
(18:08):
So I would tell them. Focus not on the rhetoric,
the chaos, and the criticism, but focus on your humanity
and your commitment to serve humanity for the greater good
of all of us, not just some of us.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
That you.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Stay true to the mission of your agency, your departments,
and to democracy. We are a democracy, no matter how fragile,
no matter how challenged, no matter the broken parts. But
(18:59):
in this demomocracy, it is only held up by our
individual and collective humanity. That is why we are a democracy,
because we believe in the goodness of others and showing
goodness to others. Stay the course, stay true to the mission,
(19:20):
and stay true to yourselves and the calling and the
reason why you decided to protect others and to serve others.
Because I always say, and I'm a woman of faith,
but I can also say him akalah home do a lot.
It is who we are and how we are that
(19:44):
makes the best of everything that is possible in America.
We are America, and we are American no matter where
you come from. Mission ready, stay focused and understand that
you have a purpose in this.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
You are literally the front line. I mean, you were
what's gonna stop evil.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
And you are right They're going to stop all evil,
domestic and farm. That is the calling the person standing
next to them, just like the officer the guardsman that
was there and return fire because his colleagues are crippled
(20:31):
and there is no war except amongst the demons that
challenge that are challenging us right now.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
The way you have crafted the way you see the
world is also to me a beautiful thing, because I've
told my own children love wins, and I can give
them thousands of examples. Yes, bad things happen, no doubt
about it. But you take this one shooter. Look how
many people are going to respect in a loving, devoted
(21:05):
community type of way. They will. They are going to
surround Sarah and Andrew's families and their friends. You're going
to have hundreds and hundreds of people that respond correctly
and favorably for them. So love winds, But I also
love the way you say things like whether or not
(21:26):
he worked for the CIA, whether or not he was
asking for asylum or had applied for it. You know,
whether he came in under Biden and stayed under Trump,
none of that matters, because that ain't why he did
what he did. Now, Sonny, I know you and I
know how you lead again with your heart wide open.
(21:48):
Talk a little bit about the power, because I do
believe it is powerful to be grateful.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
So I am a woman of faith, and I intentionally
interact with people of all faiths and those who practice
no faith. And I'm talking about faith and not religion, okay,
because sometimes people get hung up on religion, and I
(22:22):
don't want to get hung up on religion. I am
so on and I've been very transparent about my story
in my life and the things that I have experienced,
because if I only touch one person, I know one
person has been touched. I have been homeless, I have
(22:43):
been hungry, I have had to fight for my children,
I have had to fight for my life. I've had
to fight for systems. And I hate to use the
word hate, which I just use, and I hate to
use the word fight, but those two words seem to
resonate with people because so many people are angry and
(23:08):
they're also ungrateful. And as for me, I take all
of the things that have impacted me, and I find
grace in the moment. I find grace in the madness
of the things that have happened to me, and I
(23:28):
find that I am resilient and stronger, because if I
learned a long time ago, if I continue to carry
the hate and be and ungrateful, I would never see
the message and the lessons and the testimony in all
(23:54):
of the things that make me who I am. People
have to recognize the smallest part of their lives can
be the biggest part that changes other people. And when
I say the smallest part, being homeless was not a
small issue, and particularly since I was that way for
(24:16):
more than a year now this was over a decade
or so over it is when things happen in our
lives we learn to appreciate if we've learned the lesson,
there you go, there you go, and things happen in
our lives and we have not learned the lesson. We
(24:37):
learn to hold on to the hate, and hold on
to the hate in a way that doesn't change humanity.
It only changes who we are as we show up
as individuals in humanity, our trials inter relations can make
us better once we have learned the lesson. When I
(25:00):
think about the work of the guardsmen across the country,
you may not like it, but they are on assignment
and we need to welcome them. In our communities as
individuals to show our humanity. They are doing the work
(25:20):
that they are called to do, that they are required
to do, and we have to think about that. We
have to appreciate their presence in our communities so we
can appreciate the humanity in our own existence. And I
keep saying humanity because there is a human consciousness that
(25:43):
I feel that has been lost with all of the rhetoric,
all of the hate speeches, all of the politics and
pressure that we don't see one another as human beings
and everyone is not good. The person who harmed, hurt, murders,
(26:10):
and changed the course of lives for families across this
nation with the shooting of the two guardsmen and the
response that was hate and rage, even though we don't
know the exact details why because those two young people
who are doing nothing except serving their country. But we
(26:33):
can't be hateful as we respond. When you think about
the collective response from law enforcement agencies that day and
every day, there are things happening behind the scenes that
make our world better. Even though there was something that
(26:56):
was hateful that happened. Our job is to become better
in what we do and who we are. You know
I'm fifty six. Now I'm fifty seven. Oh, I can't
even remember I'm fifty seven old. My son he came
over Monday, he drove down with his girlfriend and they
(27:18):
dropped my house and he said, you know, you're close
to sixty. And I was like, whoa. And then I realized.
My mother died two days after her forty ninth birthday.
That was twenty seven, almost twenty eight years ago. And
when I think about loss, I think about the years
(27:42):
that I have lost with her, But I think about
how proud she would be because I am living and
walking in my purpose. I would say to your audience
that find out who you are and what your purpose is.
(28:02):
And that's not a slogan. I know that when I
leave this earth, when all is said and done, I
just want everyone to say servant, well done. That's what
I want to hear it. But I want my children
and my children's children, and I want the world and
(28:26):
those that have never even met me to say, wow,
she was on purpose, she was in physician on purpose
and servant, well done, and servant. When we learn to
serve others, then that is a selfless act. When we
(28:50):
do harm intentionally without regret without remorse. That is a
selfish act. And I don't want to be selfish. I
don't have time to be selfish when I am called
to serve, and in each of our own ways, we
(29:11):
are called to serve in some form of fashion. And
I'm not talking religion, and this doesn't even have to
be about faith, but for the greater good of humanity,
for those that we don't know. When I get a message,
just like I know you get these messages regularly, when
(29:32):
someone that you don't know, that you've never met, says,
you know, you changed my life. You inspire me. And
when I'm going through tough times, and we all go
through tough times, you know, Martin Luther King said there
are difficult days ahead, so we should be for hair,
(29:54):
but the difficult days ahead, and we are in difficult days.
We're in difficult times. But that does not stop the
humanity that must come out and be shown to others,
the teachable moments, the work that you do, the work
that I do, the things that happen behind the scenes,
(30:14):
just like in this recording, Just like in this episode,
there is someone behind the scenes that no one knows
that it's making this happen because everything can be out
in front. Everyone can't be out in front, but there
are people working to make a difference.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Well, you know, you said there are difficult days ahead,
and you said planning, planning, and no matter the outcome,
be grateful. So I thought i'd tell you something funny.
Walt and I had a buddy, Robert, and he was
starting a business. And you know how that is. He
was gonna put everything he had in it.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
He had, you.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Know, put way too much of his savings, his life
savings in it. But he believed what he was doing.
So we saw him like a week after the launch
of this business. He had the most gorgeous at the
time to us, a huge suv. It was like the
biggest car I'd ever seen. It almost looked like one
(31:15):
of those secret service type cars, you know, talking about
those big glass sleep It was huge, lover, and I'm like, honey,
this business has only been rolling for a week. It
wasn't he doing great? He went, no, no, no, Mac He said, listen,
just in case I lose everything, I got to live
in it. So I made it nice, and I thought,
(31:40):
that is planning, That is glass half full. I loved
everything about it he's doing great today, just to let
the audience know he was very successful in what he did.
But I remembered that because I thought that's the funniest thing.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
I've ever heard. But he was dead serious, you know.
And I understand stand that because, you know, during my
time where I was homeless, and then also in transition,
I had a vehicle. I slept in my vehicle. I
drove around in Alabama, you know, trying to find a
(32:19):
place where I had enough light so when I was
sleeping in my car, I couldn't be attacked. But you
have to have a plan. I have a plan. Your
friend had a plan and had a plan, and look
at those big extra these days are really nice and nice.
(32:40):
And you did.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Yes, ma'am, and see.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
People don't think about you know he he I'm sure
he already said. I can put this much food in there,
and I can have my clothes in here, and I
could be rip. But there is a reality to what
he said, and a reality to what I've been saying
my own previous circumstance, and reality to what others are
experiencing in this home. That a plan is important, and
(33:14):
continuous planning is even more important. We can never get
too caught up that everything as well, that something can
happen and change in an instant, which is what happened
with the guardsmen. Things happen quickly, and our lives can
(33:35):
change in an instant. It can be a phone call
that says someone that you love is hurt, that someone
that you love is gone. You need to come to
the hospital, you need to come to the school, You
need to you know, they need support, they need services.
(33:58):
We are living in times where planning, preparation and purposeful
understanding is really needed. When you talked earlier about you know,
people being so angry, Cheryl, you know we can go.
(34:20):
You and I. We do true crime. We studying and
the case is, people sometimes want me to talk about
one thing and they want to point out a particular case.
I said, do you know how many cases and things
happen in one day that I'm looking at that you
don't even see? That's right, that's right. This is this
(34:42):
work means I am constantly seeing something pop up on
the screen that is critical, that is dangerous, and that
changed lives and that impact of the people that I know,
Just like the recent shooting in Florida involving the police officer,
(35:07):
the locksmith, and those that were getting their victis and
she lost her life doing her job, the locksmith lost
his life doing his job, and the person that was
getting their victed. They didn't want to leave and it
(35:28):
turned into a crisis and a tragedy that no one
saw coming. And I talked to her colleague this morning
because I'm a Florida law enforce and instructor, and her captain,
her leadership, well, they were my student and she's broken
(35:52):
and heartbroken, and things happened quickly and perforation. We have
to prepare for the expected and be ready and planning
for the unexpected.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Doctor Slaughter, Sonny, I appreciate you so much. This has
been insightful and uplifting. And that's the thing that I
love about our Zone seven community. Sometimes these tough cases.
Talking about Sarah and Andrew, it does have an uplifting part.
(36:29):
They did not go at this job they had halfway.
We should not honor them halfway. We should be just
as committed to talk about them, to lift them up,
to honor them. And that's what you've done tonight, and
thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
I am deeply honored, more than I could say to
you for asking me to your audience, for them following
this program and for them learning, because these are the
teachable moments and this platform that you have developed. Zone seven,
(37:10):
my mind one to the Zone seven audience, thank you,
because the work would be for not if it wasn't
for all of you tuning in to listen to those
that for their hearts and their purpose into everyday things
(37:30):
that they do that you know they couldn't do it
if the audience didn't show up, if you all weren't
ready to listen to and to far tape. You know
this is nourishment. What you have created is nourishment for
the soul, mind, body, and soul. Thank you. Thank you
to your behind the scenes team for how they show
up and pull everything together make it look flawless, because
(37:53):
you know we couldn't do this if we didn't make
a look for all this.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Thank you. Thank you Max.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
You know I was struggling, that's the truth. Was really calm.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
He's always calm. He's always even no matter what I'm
throwing at him, and usually it's chaos, but he is.
I'm telling you, he is just masterful at what he does.
But you know, again, I can't thank you enough. You
are also that calming, resourceful just you know, there's those
(38:33):
people that you can call and you know after the
phone call, it's gonna be better, it's gonna be all right.
And that's how I feel talking to you. And listen, y'all,
she's coming back because she and I have got to
talk about Jacky Island because she was down there in Flexi,
and I know we know some people in common, so
(38:53):
she'll have to come back and we'll tell some good
stories because that's one of my favorite places on Earth
and some of my favorite people. So doctor Sonny Slaughter,
thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Thank you, thank you so much, my friend, my colleague,
my admiration for you front Steve. Let me tell you,
I was so giddy when you reached out. I was like,
oh my gosh, oh, and I was hoping that I
was gonna be good. It's so please invite me back.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Oh you're coming back. Don't you worry about that at all.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
No, thank you. It's been an honor, it's been a pleasure,
and I'm grateful for all that you do to make
a difference in the lives of other If you're humanity
shows every single day and you are making a difference
to me and to so many. Thus, thank you again, y'all.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
I'm going to end Zone seven the way that I
always do with a quote. Terrorism is the tactic of
demanding the impossible while demanding it at gunpoint. Christopher Hitchinson.
I'm Cheryl McCollum, and this is own set
Y'all. The new year is fast approaching, and I am
telling you twenty twenty six, we got big plans over
here at Zone seven. We are going back to once
a week releases. Now listen before y'all get upset, Doctor
Priya and Josh are going nowhere. What we're gonna do
(00:21):
is once a month, have them with us, and it's
going to be incredible. But you also have the opportunity
to meet them in person. In twenty twenty six, that's right, honey,
we are hitting the road. Zone seven is teaming up
with Body Bags and Crime Stories and we are doing
(00:44):
a national tour called the ten eight Tour. We're kicking
this thing off in Atlanta, January twenty third, twenty twenty six,
at the original Zone seven Manual's Tavern. Good stuff coming up,
see y'all in twenty twenty six. Doctor Sonny Slaughter, y'all.
(01:15):
She is a law enforcement instructor, an expert witness, a
TV commentator, and a crisis communication strategist. Let me tell
you how important her work is. It centers on emerging
threads and crisis ready decision making. This is my favorite
(01:39):
thing about her. She turns complexity into clarity. Listen. Now
complexity into clarity, and that's what we need tonight, Doctor Slaughter, Sonny,
welcome to Zone seven.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
It is and honor to be on with you. My
admiration for you personally and professionally is at one hundred
percent plus, Okay, So I am deeply honored to be
on with you, to be on Zone seven. I follow you,
I listen, and it is an absolute pleasure and thank
(02:21):
you for having me.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Are you kidding? Listen? I could take the rest of
our time tonight and talk about how I adore you,
admire you, want to be more like you.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
There is so much.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
That you give and show and teach every day and
it's incredible to me how you keep up with all
that you do and it looks flawless every single time,
every single time. So I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
That is just by the greace. Okay. You know from
all of your years and this work that it's not
about religion. It is about faith in yourself, belief in
the work and the purpose that you have and showing
up and to make making it look easy even though
(03:13):
the work is heavy and it can be hard and
it is challenging. I think you know you someone that
I admire the guests that you've had on and the
others that work in this space with us. It is
it isn't calling, a very unique calling. And you know,
sometimes I always tell people if everybody and anybody could
(03:36):
do it, they wouldn't even want to do it, because
it is a heavy lift to be responsible for showing
up and trying to make a difference, even though you
have so many things in your own life going on.
(03:57):
So thank you for your service, thank you your listening
audience for their capacity to continue to go and grow
at you. And I'm just deeply honored. As I said.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Earlier, y'all see why I love her, I told y'all,
And tonight it's so important to me to have you.
Because two National Guard members were shot November twenty sixth,
just after two o'clock. Both were from West Virginia. They
were shot at close range, real near the White House.
(04:33):
I mean, this was a straight up ambush. It was
a straight up targeted murder, and you know, both in
their twenties. I mean, I just couldn't think of anybody
better to walk us through this. Let's talk about the crisis,
Let's talk about maybe going forward, some positive things that
can be put in place, some things that need to
(04:55):
be put in place. But you know, I've got a
lot of questions for you, but I'm going to let
you lead us. So you know, we know, you know,
Sarah Beckstrom was twenty she died, and Andrew Wolf twenty
four is still in critical condition. And the third you know,
soldier that was with them returned fire, but again was
(05:20):
in that battle right there.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
You know, I live in the area I am. I'm
fifteen minutes from the Whitehouse, a place that I have
been numerous times for work to engage in that area
regularly the same path that they were walking I have walked.
And when I heard about what happened, it was deeply disturbing.
(05:54):
And to understand that these two very young individuals, for
three of my four adult children are in their twenties,
actually they're in their mid twenties, and these two very young,
very dedicated public servants were gunned down in such a
(06:20):
horrific way in the nation's capital. And they were there
because they have a calling and had a calling to
serve in government to protect our communities. And it's hard
(06:43):
to talk and think about Sarah, who had just been
sworn in recently left her family to come here to
protect the community and the people here. We are in
such a critical crisis at a time when compassion must
(07:06):
be high for those that are in uniform, for those
who are serving, and for those who choose to protect
us because they don't have to.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
And they don't have to. And let's talk about Sarah
for a second. She volunteered to do this tour so
that other people with children could go home for Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Right, I mean, she's young, She was committed, and she
already understood the value of family because that's how she
was raised. She believed that others it was a selfless
(07:53):
act and then then the selfishness of an individual. And
we still know line to take such drastic measures. You know,
I studied hate crimes and extremism while as an instructor
(08:18):
with the US Department of Homeland Security FLEXING. I was
allowed to go and do training that was for sworn
law enforcement only, And it was the hate and Extremism class,
which wasn't just like a class for one day or
a class for one week. It was a college course.
It was deeply embedded in understanding the actions and the
(08:41):
response necessary to address threats extremism, terrorism and things like that.
And now more than ever, I find that the work
and the lens of what I was taught, and you know,
in interacting with my classmates is more critical. Now I've
(09:01):
been focused for the last several years on national security issues,
traveling around with members of the Senate, members of Congress,
and if folks want to know who I travel with,
I work with everyone. I don't. I don't tick a side.
(09:21):
I stay out of the weeds of the politics. And
I have no problem at all correcting anyone, including our
elected officials, about their language, how insightful and incendiary it
can be. Pray all so there is no leftists, no
(09:45):
right and on no aisles. I stole down the middle
on conversations like this and in rooms, I am unafraid.
I am unbossed, unbought, and very critical that everyone needs
to take the temperature down to zero and stop citing
(10:07):
the violence, the political violence, see the propaganda and which
makes people like Sarah and Andrew, those Gothlic servants, law
enforcement and others political pawns and puts them in the
(10:28):
direct line of fire, which is what happened on that
particular day when they were just walking in the community.
I loved what you said.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
You are unbought, You're not afraid, you are not gonna
just be intimidated. That's what it takes. But you do
more than that when you are at that table. The
people you're speaking for, I don't even know if they
realize you've got somebody calm, intelligent, with a heart, Sonny,
(11:07):
because again, you're not just talking about Sarah like, well
there was somebody shot in DC. No, you're understanding her.
You're wanting to, you know, give homage to her parents
the way they raised her, to let people know, hey,
she was putting family first and not her own but
(11:28):
somebody else's. Any job, but especially your job. Leading with
a heart, a heart for all people is incredible, and
that's the only way to break down this hate.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
You know, Sarah and Andrew could be my children. Forget race,
forget faith, forget all of the other things that we
think matter. They were my children, and I say were
because Sarah is no longer with us. Andrew could still
(12:09):
be my child. He is fighting for his life. The
other guardsman who took fire and tried to protect them
and did an excellent job, could still be my child.
And when we take the hate and the lens off.
(12:31):
I teach something called lens language and law. When you
take the lens and you turn it in the right
direction towards humanity, then we are family, regardless of all
of the other factors that sometimes people think separate us,
and I say think separate us because we focus. There
(12:53):
are individuals who focus more, but sometimes we focus too
much on those. This incident was so much moving to me,
I decided to write I've been writing LinkedIn articles because
I found from those that you know follow me, listen
(13:13):
to me that although I could do a video, it
is the writing that allows me to really take a
deep dive. And because I've always written and kind of
break things down, I am teaching and all of these
(13:34):
things become teachable moments and I want people to have
I write on the laptop or the computer, but I
still also write using pen and pay for own school stuff.
We have to move our society past the hate that
(13:56):
we are experiencing. It is not about an indie vial,
it's not even about me, but it is about what
I am called to do. And I realized, based on
the feedback that I keep getting from FOSS is that
they are learning. People still want to learn, They still
(14:16):
want to understand all of the things that are impacting us,
and the articles and the writing and the commentary becomes
a communication tool for better understanding and what I thought about,
what happened, what all of the other things are happening.
(14:43):
It was important to add contexts and layers and understanding.
I am always a law enforcement instructor, so to tie
the two together, and I was a military wife. I
take all of the my experiences and kind of pushed
them out in the world. I am a former military
(15:05):
wife Navy for years a decade. I come from a
family of service members across every branch, going back to
my grandfather and my grand and my grandfather's father, a
long line that still served today National Guards in every capacity,
(15:29):
including the Coastguard. So I find it incredibly personal that
two young people who have dedicated their life to service
could be viciously attacked in the nation's capital, which has
a lot of law enforcement in the area. And then
(15:55):
you get mixed messaging about whether law enforcement and public
safety professionals collaborate, communicate and move forward with the work. Well,
everyone else is talking about politics and policing, and in
the profession. Those that do the work are just getting
(16:19):
it done. Nobody's saying, are you Republican? Are you Democrat?
Are you right on? Now? I was talking about you
do you pray? How do you worship? That's not the
conversations that are going on with those that do the
actual work. Whether you're sworn or non sworn, everybody is
(16:42):
working towards mission ready, safety, security, public service, and ensuring
that our democracy and humanity hold together.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Would you tell law enforcement today, what would you tell
the next group of soldiers that are headed to DC.
And you know a lot of people like to say, well,
keep your head on a swivel, watch your six, but
really give them something to ponder, to really put into practice,
to look out for their fellow person the way that
(17:21):
they need to while looking out for themselves.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
If you have joined the National Guards law enforcement in
any area of public safety, your first priority is to
protect and serve and protection and service to your colleagues,
(17:47):
to your communities, and to the country. And you have
to take no one wants to take this job and
take this work on as a job and work when
it's really about the calling and your commitment to others.
(18:08):
So I would tell them. Focus not on the rhetoric,
the chaos, and the criticism, but focus on your humanity
and your commitment to serve humanity for the greater good
of all of us, not just some of us.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
That you.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Stay true to the mission of your agency, your departments,
and to democracy. We are a democracy, no matter how fragile,
no matter how challenged, no matter the broken parts. But
(18:59):
in this demomocracy, it is only held up by our
individual and collective humanity. That is why we are a democracy,
because we believe in the goodness of others and showing
goodness to others. Stay the course, stay true to the mission,
(19:20):
and stay true to yourselves and the calling and the
reason why you decided to protect others and to serve others.
Because I always say, and I'm a woman of faith,
but I can also say him akalah home do a lot.
It is who we are and how we are that
(19:44):
makes the best of everything that is possible in America.
We are America, and we are American no matter where
you come from. Mission ready, stay focused and understand that
you have a purpose in this.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
You are literally the front line. I mean, you were
what's gonna stop evil.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
And you are right They're going to stop all evil,
domestic and farm. That is the calling the person standing
next to them, just like the officer the guardsman that
was there and return fire because his colleagues are crippled
(20:31):
and there is no war except amongst the demons that
challenge that are challenging us right now.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
The way you have crafted the way you see the
world is also to me a beautiful thing, because I've
told my own children love wins, and I can give
them thousands of examples. Yes, bad things happen, no doubt
about it. But you take this one shooter. Look how
many people are going to respect in a loving, devoted
(21:05):
community type of way. They will. They are going to
surround Sarah and Andrew's families and their friends. You're going
to have hundreds and hundreds of people that respond correctly
and favorably for them. So love winds, But I also
love the way you say things like whether or not
(21:26):
he worked for the CIA, whether or not he was
asking for asylum or had applied for it. You know,
whether he came in under Biden and stayed under Trump,
none of that matters, because that ain't why he did
what he did. Now, Sonny, I know you and I
know how you lead again with your heart wide open.
(21:48):
Talk a little bit about the power, because I do
believe it is powerful to be grateful.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
So I am a woman of faith, and I intentionally
interact with people of all faiths and those who practice
no faith. And I'm talking about faith and not religion, okay,
because sometimes people get hung up on religion, and I
(22:22):
don't want to get hung up on religion. I am
so on and I've been very transparent about my story
in my life and the things that I have experienced,
because if I only touch one person, I know one
person has been touched. I have been homeless, I have
(22:43):
been hungry, I have had to fight for my children,
I have had to fight for my life. I've had
to fight for systems. And I hate to use the
word hate, which I just use, and I hate to
use the word fight, but those two words seem to
resonate with people because so many people are angry and
(23:08):
they're also ungrateful. And as for me, I take all
of the things that have impacted me, and I find
grace in the moment. I find grace in the madness
of the things that have happened to me, and I
(23:28):
find that I am resilient and stronger, because if I
learned a long time ago, if I continue to carry
the hate and be and ungrateful, I would never see
the message and the lessons and the testimony in all
(23:54):
of the things that make me who I am. People
have to recognize the smallest part of their lives can
be the biggest part that changes other people. And when
I say the smallest part, being homeless was not a
small issue, and particularly since I was that way for
(24:16):
more than a year now this was over a decade
or so over it is when things happen in our
lives we learn to appreciate if we've learned the lesson,
there you go, there you go, and things happen in
our lives and we have not learned the lesson. We
(24:37):
learn to hold on to the hate, and hold on
to the hate in a way that doesn't change humanity.
It only changes who we are as we show up
as individuals in humanity, our trials inter relations can make
us better once we have learned the lesson. When I
(25:00):
think about the work of the guardsmen across the country,
you may not like it, but they are on assignment
and we need to welcome them. In our communities as
individuals to show our humanity. They are doing the work
(25:20):
that they are called to do, that they are required
to do, and we have to think about that. We
have to appreciate their presence in our communities so we
can appreciate the humanity in our own existence. And I
keep saying humanity because there is a human consciousness that
(25:43):
I feel that has been lost with all of the rhetoric,
all of the hate speeches, all of the politics and
pressure that we don't see one another as human beings
and everyone is not good. The person who harmed, hurt, murders,
(26:10):
and changed the course of lives for families across this
nation with the shooting of the two guardsmen and the
response that was hate and rage, even though we don't
know the exact details why because those two young people
who are doing nothing except serving their country. But we
(26:33):
can't be hateful as we respond. When you think about
the collective response from law enforcement agencies that day and
every day, there are things happening behind the scenes that
make our world better. Even though there was something that
(26:56):
was hateful that happened. Our job is to become better
in what we do and who we are. You know
I'm fifty six. Now I'm fifty seven. Oh, I can't
even remember I'm fifty seven old. My son he came
over Monday, he drove down with his girlfriend and they
(27:18):
dropped my house and he said, you know, you're close
to sixty. And I was like, whoa. And then I realized.
My mother died two days after her forty ninth birthday.
That was twenty seven, almost twenty eight years ago. And
when I think about loss, I think about the years
(27:42):
that I have lost with her, But I think about
how proud she would be because I am living and
walking in my purpose. I would say to your audience
that find out who you are and what your purpose is.
(28:02):
And that's not a slogan. I know that when I
leave this earth, when all is said and done, I
just want everyone to say servant, well done. That's what
I want to hear it. But I want my children
and my children's children, and I want the world and
(28:26):
those that have never even met me to say, wow,
she was on purpose, she was in physician on purpose
and servant, well done, and servant. When we learn to
serve others, then that is a selfless act. When we
(28:50):
do harm intentionally without regret without remorse. That is a
selfish act. And I don't want to be selfish. I
don't have time to be selfish when I am called
to serve, and in each of our own ways, we
(29:11):
are called to serve in some form of fashion. And
I'm not talking religion, and this doesn't even have to
be about faith, but for the greater good of humanity,
for those that we don't know. When I get a message,
just like I know you get these messages regularly, when
(29:32):
someone that you don't know, that you've never met, says,
you know, you changed my life. You inspire me. And
when I'm going through tough times, and we all go
through tough times, you know, Martin Luther King said there
are difficult days ahead, so we should be for hair,
(29:54):
but the difficult days ahead, and we are in difficult days.
We're in difficult times. But that does not stop the
humanity that must come out and be shown to others,
the teachable moments, the work that you do, the work
that I do, the things that happen behind the scenes,
(30:14):
just like in this recording, Just like in this episode,
there is someone behind the scenes that no one knows
that it's making this happen because everything can be out
in front. Everyone can't be out in front, but there
are people working to make a difference.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Well, you know, you said there are difficult days ahead,
and you said planning, planning, and no matter the outcome,
be grateful. So I thought i'd tell you something funny.
Walt and I had a buddy, Robert, and he was
starting a business. And you know how that is. He
was gonna put everything he had in it.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
He had, you.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Know, put way too much of his savings, his life
savings in it. But he believed what he was doing.
So we saw him like a week after the launch
of this business. He had the most gorgeous at the
time to us, a huge suv. It was like the
biggest car I'd ever seen. It almost looked like one
(31:15):
of those secret service type cars, you know, talking about
those big glass sleep It was huge, lover, and I'm like, honey,
this business has only been rolling for a week. It
wasn't he doing great? He went, no, no, no, Mac He said, listen,
just in case I lose everything, I got to live
in it. So I made it nice, and I thought,
(31:40):
that is planning, That is glass half full. I loved
everything about it he's doing great today, just to let
the audience know he was very successful in what he did.
But I remembered that because I thought that's the funniest thing.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
I've ever heard. But he was dead serious, you know.
And I understand stand that because, you know, during my
time where I was homeless, and then also in transition,
I had a vehicle. I slept in my vehicle. I
drove around in Alabama, you know, trying to find a
(32:19):
place where I had enough light so when I was
sleeping in my car, I couldn't be attacked. But you
have to have a plan. I have a plan. Your
friend had a plan and had a plan, and look
at those big extra these days are really nice and nice.
(32:40):
And you did.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Yes, ma'am, and see.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
People don't think about you know he he I'm sure
he already said. I can put this much food in there,
and I can have my clothes in here, and I
could be rip. But there is a reality to what
he said, and a reality to what I've been saying
my own previous circumstance, and reality to what others are
experiencing in this home. That a plan is important, and
(33:14):
continuous planning is even more important. We can never get
too caught up that everything as well, that something can
happen and change in an instant, which is what happened
with the guardsmen. Things happen quickly, and our lives can
(33:35):
change in an instant. It can be a phone call
that says someone that you love is hurt, that someone
that you love is gone. You need to come to
the hospital, you need to come to the school, You
need to you know, they need support, they need services.
(33:58):
We are living in times where planning, preparation and purposeful
understanding is really needed. When you talked earlier about you know,
people being so angry, Cheryl, you know we can go.
(34:20):
You and I. We do true crime. We studying and
the case is, people sometimes want me to talk about
one thing and they want to point out a particular case.
I said, do you know how many cases and things
happen in one day that I'm looking at that you
don't even see? That's right, that's right. This is this
(34:42):
work means I am constantly seeing something pop up on
the screen that is critical, that is dangerous, and that
changed lives and that impact of the people that I know,
Just like the recent shooting in Florida involving the police officer,
(35:07):
the locksmith, and those that were getting their victis and
she lost her life doing her job, the locksmith lost
his life doing his job, and the person that was
getting their victed. They didn't want to leave and it
(35:28):
turned into a crisis and a tragedy that no one
saw coming. And I talked to her colleague this morning
because I'm a Florida law enforce and instructor, and her captain,
her leadership, well, they were my student and she's broken
(35:52):
and heartbroken, and things happened quickly and perforation. We have
to prepare for the expected and be ready and planning
for the unexpected.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
Doctor Slaughter, Sonny, I appreciate you so much. This has
been insightful and uplifting. And that's the thing that I
love about our Zone seven community. Sometimes these tough cases.
Talking about Sarah and Andrew, it does have an uplifting part.
(36:29):
They did not go at this job they had halfway.
We should not honor them halfway. We should be just
as committed to talk about them, to lift them up,
to honor them. And that's what you've done tonight, and
thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
I am deeply honored, more than I could say to
you for asking me to your audience, for them following
this program and for them learning, because these are the
teachable moments and this platform that you have developed. Zone seven,
(37:10):
my mind one to the Zone seven audience, thank you,
because the work would be for not if it wasn't
for all of you tuning in to listen to those
that for their hearts and their purpose into everyday things
(37:30):
that they do that you know they couldn't do it
if the audience didn't show up, if you all weren't
ready to listen to and to far tape. You know
this is nourishment. What you have created is nourishment for
the soul, mind, body, and soul. Thank you. Thank you
to your behind the scenes team for how they show
up and pull everything together make it look flawless, because
(37:53):
you know we couldn't do this if we didn't make
a look for all this.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Thank you. Thank you Max.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
You know I was struggling, that's the truth. Was really calm.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
He's always calm. He's always even no matter what I'm
throwing at him, and usually it's chaos, but he is.
I'm telling you, he is just masterful at what he does.
But you know, again, I can't thank you enough. You
are also that calming, resourceful just you know, there's those
(38:33):
people that you can call and you know after the
phone call, it's gonna be better, it's gonna be all right.
And that's how I feel talking to you. And listen, y'all,
she's coming back because she and I have got to
talk about Jacky Island because she was down there in Flexi,
and I know we know some people in common, so
(38:53):
she'll have to come back and we'll tell some good
stories because that's one of my favorite places on Earth
and some of my favorite people. So doctor Sonny Slaughter,
thank you.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Thank you, thank you so much, my friend, my colleague,
my admiration for you front Steve. Let me tell you,
I was so giddy when you reached out. I was like,
oh my gosh, oh, and I was hoping that I
was gonna be good. It's so please invite me back.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Oh you're coming back. Don't you worry about that at all.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
No, thank you. It's been an honor, it's been a pleasure,
and I'm grateful for all that you do to make
a difference in the lives of other If you're humanity
shows every single day and you are making a difference
to me and to so many. Thus, thank you again, y'all.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
I'm going to end Zone seven the way that I
always do with a quote. Terrorism is the tactic of
demanding the impossible while demanding it at gunpoint. Christopher Hitchinson.
I'm Cheryl McCollum, and this is own set
Host
Sheryl McCollum
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