Gun violence roundtable highlights need for mental health resources, social workers for Pa. students

Gun violence prevention advocates gathered educators, law enforcement and students this week to discuss school safety. The conversation, hosted by CeaseFirePA, followed a spate of lockdowns at school districts across the region after threats of violence.

More than a dozen school districts across the region reported threats earlier this month. Districts like Woodland Hills, Fox Chapel Area and Shaler Area all closed or delayed school out of caution.

Several of the social media threats have since been deemed hoaxes, and one elementary school student is facing felony charges. But speakers and attendees at Wednesday’s roundtable said the surge in threats, however non-credible, indicates a need to address what’s driving this turn toward violence.

To Olabisi Meade, a senior at Aliquippa Junior-Senior High School, the issue stems from a lack of mental health support. She said too many of her peers see therapy as “weak.”

“We really shouldn't get to the point of, ‘I'm not going to go get help, but then now I need help,’” Meade said.

Speaking alongside school mental health specialists, elected officials and police Wednesday in Sewickley, Meade said she’s alarmed by the way gun violence has become normalized.

“I shouldn't be like, ‘They're talking about [how] they have a gun again,’” Meade continued. “That shouldn't be like my first thought.”

Millvale borough police chief Tim Komoroski agreed that students need more mental health resources and safe spaces after school. He also said preventing these threats relies on trust between students and law enforcement.

“It's getting law enforcement involved regularly with them in the schools, the social workers,” Komoroski said. “they'll come to us and say, ‘So-and-so posted this, so-and-so's talking — maybe there is a real threat that they'll tip us off on beforehand.”

Komoroski hired the department’s first social worker in 2022. He said every police agency should have a social worker on staff to address compounding issues and connect residents — and especially students — with services.

“The fact is it's necessary,” Komoroski said. “It's not a matter of should you have one. You have to have one.”

Attendees also discussed a need for safer gun storage, as well as better tracking of stolen firearms. Firearm injuries were the leading cause of death in 2022 among children and teens, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

President Biden announced an executive order Thursday to address the threat of illegal conversion devices that make guns more lethal, as well as unserialized, 3D-printed firearms — often referred to as “ghost guns.”

The executive order establishes an Emerging Firearms Threats Task Force, which has been tasked with developing a plan to address these issues and publish a report within three months. The Biden-Harris administration also directed federal education and security leaders to guide K-12 schools and colleges on active shooter drills.

“Despite the ubiquity of these drills, there is very limited research on how to design and deploy these drills to maximize their effectiveness and limit any collateral harms they might cause,” the White House said in a statement.

“Federal agencies need to help schools improve drills so they can more effectively prepare for an active shooter situation while also preventing or minimizing any trauma.”

Ronn Nozoe, National Association of Secondary School Principals, called the measure a critical step for school leaders.

“However, we urge Congress to build on this momentum by investing in mental health resources and educator professional development to help prevent and heal from gun violence, which requires the commitment of a long-term investment,” he said. “A comprehensive approach is essential to create truly safe and supportive learning environments."