We Confront A Pattern Of School Violence And Call For Collective Responsibility

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A near miss at Skyline High School puts Colorado’s long shadow back in the spotlight and forces us to ask tougher questions about what truly keeps students safe. We walk through what happened, why “this time” isn’t enough, and how a quarter-century of tragedies and scares—from Columbine to STEM—reveals patterns that policies alone haven’t fixed. Then we pivot to what often gets overlooked: the daily emotional world of kids, the toll of bullying on mental health, and the cultural conditions that let cruelty and despair take root.

We share a clear path forward built on connection, not just compliance. You’ll hear why a trusted adult for every student can be a game changer, how consistent anti-bullying enforcement and restorative practices rebuild trust, and where mental health resources—counselors, peer supports, telehealth, and simple reporting tools—create early, lifesaving intervention. We talk about safe storage, digital citizenship, advisory periods, and how schools can partner with families and local clinics to expand care without burning out staff.

This conversation is about community responsibility as much as it is about school safety. Parents, educators, coaches, neighbors, and lawmakers each hold a piece of the solution—teaching empathy, funding services, enforcing safe norms, and amplifying student voice. If you’re ready to move beyond headlines and drills toward practical, humane changes that make hallways feel safe again, you’re in the right place.

If this resonates, subscribe, share the show with someone who cares about kids’ wellbeing, and leave a review with one action your community can take this month. Your voice helps build the culture where every child feels seen, supported, and safe.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Great Day Colorado Podcast.
I'm DJ Mikey D, coming to youwith the news that matters.
We're starting with somesobering news out of Colorado.
Another school, another scare,another reminder of how fragile
our sense of safety can be.
Here's what we know.
A high school student innorthern Colorado was taken into
custody on october twenty thirdafter allegedly bringing a

(00:22):
handgun onto campus at SkylineHigh School.
According to the Longmont PoliceDepartment, the investigation
began around eleven thirty AMwhen the school resource officer
was alerted to social mediaphotos showing a student in
possession of what appeared tobe a handgun.
The student was taken intocustody without incident and
transported to the juvenileassessment center in Boulder.

(00:45):
Thankfully no one was hurt thistime, but the this time part of
that sentence, that's what getsme.
Because when we talk aboutColorado and school shootings,
we're not talking about isolatedincidents, we're talking about a
pattern, a history, a painfullegacy that stretches back
decades.
Since the Columbine High Schoolattack on april twentieth,

(01:06):
nineteen ninety nine, Coloradohas experienced multiple school
shootings and threats.
We all remember Columbine.
It became a national turningpoint, or at least it should
have been.
But here's the staggeringreality since Columbine Colorado
has seen somewhere between sixtyto five to eighty school related
shooting incidents, depending onhow you define them.

(01:27):
That's over twenty five years ofnear misses, threats, injuries,
and fatalities.
In two thousand seven, threatsat a Colorado high school led to
lockdowns, igniting communityfears.
In twenty nineteen, a shootingat a Colorado STEM school
resulted in two students losingtheir lives.
And those are just two examplesin a long, painful list.

(01:48):
The tragedy of Columbine didn'tserve as the wake up call we
needed.
Yes, it pushed for reforms inschool safety protocols and gun
laws, but the fact remainsschool shootings have not
ceased.
For many students and parentstoday, these events have become
terrifyingly routine.
The lockdown drills, the safetyplans, they're necessary, but

(02:09):
they also reflect a society thatstill struggles with addressing
the root causes of violence.
And that's where theconversation needs to go beyond
just the immediate news.
What are we missing?
What aren't we doing?
Many experts point to mentalhealth issues, familial
instability, and easy access tofirearms as key factors, and
they're not wrong.

(02:30):
But what's often missing is asense of collective
responsibility.
It's not just about gun laws,though they are crucial, it's
about fostering environmentswhere students feel safe, heard,
and supported.
It's about creating schoolswhere every student feels
valued, seen, and connected.
Our policies are only part ofthe solution.
We need cultural change, a shifttoward empathy, toward community

(02:53):
engagement, toward looking outfor each other in ways that go
beyond security cameras andmetal detectors.
Because when a student feelsisolated, angry, or hopeless
enough to bring a weapon toschool, that's not just a policy
failure.
That's a community failure.
That's our failure.
As we remember the scars of thepast, Columbine and all the
incidents that followed, we needto focus on building a future

(03:17):
where these tragedies are nolonger part of our reality.
Change is possible, but itrequires all of us, parents,
educators, lawmakers, communitymembers, to stand up and push
for it.
It requires us to have difficultconversations, to listen to
young people, to address theunderlying issues that lead to
violence.
The incident at Skyline HighSchool ended without bloodshed,

(03:38):
and for that we should begrateful.
But we can't let gratitudebecome complacency.
Every near miss should renew ourcommitment to creating safer
schools and healthiercommunities.
That's all the time we have forthis segment.
I'm DJ Mikey D, and I'll be backafter the break with more news
and analysis.
Stay informed, stay engaged, andtake care of each other out

(03:59):
there.
Peace and prayers.
Welcome back to Great DayColorado's Community Voice
Podcast.
For this segment, we're divingdeep into a topic that's close
to my heart and affects millionsof children worldwide, kids'
mental health and thedevastating impact of school
bullying.
You know, when we talk aboutkids' well being, we often focus
on the surface stuff, grades,sports, activities, but what's

(04:21):
happening beneath that surface?
Many children are carrying heavyburdens of anxiety, depression,
and low self esteem that wenever see.
And one of the biggestcontributors to this hidden
struggle?
Bullying.
Whether it's physicalintimidation in the hallway,
cruel words in the classroom, orrelentless attacks online
through cyberbullying, thedamage is real and it lasts.

(04:44):
I've spoken with educators,psychologists, my own kiddos,
and even adults who still carryscars from childhood bullying,
the shame, the isolation, thefeeling that you're somehow at
fault.
It shapes how these kids seethemselves and their place in
the world.
And here's what really gets me.
We still hear people dismissthis as kids being kids, but let

(05:04):
me be clear, bullying is not arite of passage.
It's not character building,it's trauma.
The research is undeniable.
Children who experience bullyingare at higher risk for
depression, anxiety disorders,and even suicidal thoughts.
Their academic performancesuffers, their social
development stalls.

(05:25):
This isn't child's play.
This is serious mental healthterritory.
So why aren't we doing more?
I believe it comes down toawareness and compassion.
We need to stop minimizingwhat's happening in our schools
and start taking proactivemeasures.
Schools need comprehensive antibullying policies that are
actually enforced.
But it's not just aboutpunishment.

(05:46):
It's about creating cultures ofkindness where bullying can't
thrive in the first place.
We need mental health resourcesreadily available in every
school.
Counselors, psychologists, peersupport programs.
Children need to know there aresafe places and safe people they
can turn to.
And this isn't just a schoolissue, it's a community issue.
Parents, teachers, coaches,neighbors, we all have a role to

(06:09):
play in creating environmentswhere children feel valued,
heard, and protected.
We need to be teaching empathyfrom the earliest ages, having
open conversations about mentalhealth, creating spaces where
it's okay to not be okay, andwhere asking for help is seen as
strength, not weakness.
When we invest in mental healtheducation and anti bullying

(06:31):
initiatives, we're not justhelping individual children,
we're building stronger, morecompassionate communities.
We're creating the kind of worldwe all want to live in.
I want to leave you with thisthought every child deserves to
feel safe in their own skin.
Every child deserves to go toschool without fear.
Every child deserves the supportthey need to navigate the

(06:53):
challenges of growing up.
If you're a parent, have thoseconversations with your kids
about what's happening atschool.
If you're an educator, advocatefor the resources your students
need.
If you're a community member,support organizations that work
on these issues.
And if you or a child you knowis struggling, please remember
help is available.

(07:14):
Reach out to school counselors,mental health professionals, or
crisis lines.
You don't have to face thisalone.
Thank you for joining me forthis important conversation.
I'm DJ Mikey D, and I'll be backnext time with another topic
that matters.
Until then, take care ofyourselves and each other.
Peace out.