What an IDEA! Part 1

Other parts under construction. Stay tuned.

If you think my thoughts run on a particular pattern, you are paying attention. Whoever says life is not predictable is probably defending someone in court.

This is a work divided into parts. 

Like sands through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives. TV Soap Opera writers made a successful show for years (may still be on the air, not sure) using that expression. Did they coin it or was it just a lucky choice for the title?

I don't watch soap operas anymore on TV, or do I? I watch trials on school violence: prevention and failures; breaking news events at schools; and the news on kids gone wild in my city, other towns and communities across the globe. Drama in disturbed minds and homes play out in public areas. Most scenes are scripted by adults, but the most troublesome to me are the ones scripted and acted out by children.

I lived my own soap opera from 1998 to 2005. Most of it is history, but the news feels like it was just yesterday or even today. 

For the purposes of discussion, school violence is not just about the extremes of school shootings. Make no mistake, we pay for even the small events that do not make the YouTube or podcastors circuit.

Life is a soap opera. Even non televised life gets down right dirty at times. Proctor and Gamble were smart business people early on. Their products still sell. But as we all know, some stains remain for all to see.

Real life soap operas do not have a director and no one seems to call, "Cut" in some locations. However, at least in schools, many are paid actors. All the world is a stage, right?

My next parts will be about ideas, both lower case "idea" and upper case, IDEA.

Stay tuned. Life can get bumpy, especially when the some narrators tell you nothing is predictable.

Shannon Wright, in 1998, died because she inwardly predicted that the trajectory of a bullet would hit a child so she stood in front of the student whom she saved. Shannon died protecting that child. She was good fruit.

I would not say the same for many others in education, past, present and most likely future. One does not have to be a soothsayer to predict other school violence on an extreme level will occur. There are bad fruit in education. You know, one bad apple theory, right?

Marian R. Carlino

May 29, 2026

 

What chya gonna do when a gun comes to school? Could have, Would have, Should have

I really do not think that I was the only teacher during the 1997-1998 school year to believe that a kid would bring a gun to school.  But in my district, then, it sure seemed like it. 1996 to 1998 were not quiet years in schools when it came to gun violence, especially in “unexpected” school districts. I was cognizant of behavior patterns and access to weapons. And I knew we were not some special immune district. I did work with humans after all.

I may have been unique in questioning administration though, well at least in my district. My book does detail the responses from parents and teachers. The parents wrote letters, so did certain staff. The correspondence is telling. What I wrote about teachers’ insight would be, at least in a court of law, considered hearsay at least in Newport News, Va. But, after my workshop request addressed to particular staff, no one could fain ignorance. They could all have been called on in a trial to speak for themselves. I listed them in my legal endeavor.

In almost every incidence of violence in a school setting (not only gun violence), one will hear naive statements, and often, “the safety and well being of the students is the top priority” right after the damage had been done.

If a trial is held, defense lawyers outright lie, using terms like unprecedented, unthinkable, unpredictable, “who would ever think a young child would bring a gun?”. Then you hear could, would and should. The lawyer in the recent dismissed trial of the VP liked "could and should", except when it came to his client. Her defense lawyer in the civil trial, which the VP lost, used “unthinkable" and unpredictable.

What is unthinkable and unpredictable after a students tells you? 

So, in this blog post, I have listed 12 videos or news stories that discuss what happens after a kid brings a gun to school.  Don’t let the naive and stupid; administrators trying to save face; or a lawyer offering bs lines to protect (the people who did nothing or failed to be proactive) get away with ignorant statements. Be proactive. If you need examples, share these videos or this post.

It is almost summer, with school heading to seasonal breaks. You should have time to review. The oldest link is 18 years old. They are not in any order but all are related to children under 12 years old. These are American schools but violence in a school is not unique to America. 

Remember, you could be the one with a needed puzzle piece. What would you do to prevent a violent attack in your school? After the fact, the law will be made clear to you about what should have been done.

In almost of these scenarios, children warned the staff who took action. Those children must have held more clout then the children under VP, EP  in the now infamous elementary school in Newport News, Va.

New gun laws also would not help. Gun laws were broken in these scenarios. 

https://youtu.be/Ce2dQk6TplQ?si=Fzf0N40Vvvuea-fs

 https://youtu.be/svOk6Dthky0?si=i8uNWVt0dJLFl31

https://youtu.be/gx2nTgSkbsc?si=_-b9Y4-RjPiJJfgZ

https://youtu.be/gx2nTgSkbsc?si=9fEt44Gw_KPhutth

https://youtu.be/HxmEpZfkXFo?si=i8U_PYRoKqgi7xt9

https://youtu.be/dSAma5OSD5M?si=V6vTdYJGzmNVehn5

https://youtu.be/ddmupe5Z4rM?si=rgAXWFCPZjpwUzTz

https://youtube.com/shorts/CPLTg916LUU?si=ACHhth8Xj08ahu22

https://youtu.be/lOGJO3ojK2k?si=Mh5KwuaPX3Wyx1jO

https://youtu.be/9uzDvOlTakM?si=TRxBN3vDXe8ybi9f

https://youtube.com/shorts/KvslMqFiA4o?si=lUsN7AYQ95b_yqF4

https://youtu.be/6tZ_J3RE3yw?si=usRaFN1mieXF-SZE

https://youtu.be/2816d_jT_w8?si=hL5wyfTOYx3w4UAs

Marian R. Carlino

May 26, 2026

What about JT? A 6 year old who shot his teacher

 Who is JT and What about him?

Just like CN in my former classroom, JT is a young child for whom a school district had concerns about his behaviors since he was in kindergarten. Unlike, CN in my former class, in 1998, JT pulled off trying to kill his teacher on January 6, 2023. He succeeded in leaving a bullet permanently lodged close to the heart of his first grade teacher after pulling the trigger in front of his classmates (in a classroom with no solid walls. The school had safe rooms in times of emergencies.)

My classroom could have been the scene of a similar event but it was not. My story is in detail in my book. The circumstances are still timely since two trials were recently held regarding the actions of JT. JT’s teachers faced very serious circumstances in reporting and dealing with their violent student. I could connect dots. The law could also in JT’s life. The teacher won a civil case, asking for a $40 million dollar award in the fall of 2025 and was awarded a civil judgement of $10 million per a jury decision. The State of Virginia jailed the mother and she lost custody. The State of Virginia thought a criminal case was warranted. A grand jury was convened and a trial was scheduled. The Grand Jury Report from 2024 outlines a lot of information.

The Grand Jury report did not indict the 6 year old. He was too young. Based on their findings, the Grand Jury did indict the VP, EP, and found fault with many security measures at the school.

On May 18, 2026, a jury was selected and on May 19,  2026,, the jury trial began. Suddenly, on May 20, 2026,  the trial was dismissed unilaterally by the judge. Evidently the 8 counts regarding the children did not meet the judges definition of criminal. 

SO, what about JT? Although I have no empathy for his actions, we know what angry children can do, wasn’t he a danger to himself?

BUT, didn’t the VP have a responsibility to protect JT from harming himself? He was not listed as one of the 8 counts.  His mother or custodial guardian was not called to testify by the prosecutors. The defense attorneys did not give an iota to the children’s rights. Other than the teacher, the most serious non physical trauma is actually being suffered by JT. Was the VP really protecting JT by ignoring nor acting proactively to the staff concerns? Why wasn’t he listed as a child in the indictment against the VP? 

The Grand Jury Report May explain about JT and the VP’s concern for safety. The teacher almost paid with her life. JT will never have a normal life. And as for the other children, well, the Judge did not care about their rights either. The prosecutor said in opening statements, the trial was about the children. Was it?  

What about JT? What about Justice for all? 

Read the Grand Jury Report in the link. Watch the short, dismissed trial on one of the many YouTube channels, like Court TV. And pray that your children’s school districts are prepared for prevention. The stakes are life changing when they are not.

https://www.wavy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Full-Report-2024-opt-1.pdf

Marian R. Carlino

May 25, 2026

 

Another School District

So something similar to staff not doing their jobs. Will the Superintendent pass the buck? Will the defense yell, hearsay? 

We shall see.

Do students have to take it for the team?

Posted twice for effect.

https://youtu.be/6Tnv7kNPbAM?si=xaFyNpdfLzrJeaq

https://youtu.be/6Tnv7kNPbAM?si=OLMa9dxGn98AC6ev

Marian R. Carlino

May 23, 2026

Hearsay and the hypocrisy of the VP weeping

It has been a few days since the criminal charges were dsmissed against the VP by a judge, not by the jury. The judge took the decision into her hands. 

The VP was found culpable in a civil trial for the shooting injury to the teacher in a first grade class in the elementary school in Virginia. Civil cases on behalf of the children are still active and pending against the VP. This potential for monetary gain was used against the parents when they took the stand this past week to testify in the criminal trial. 

No one at the school, other than the VP was indicted by a grand jury on criminal charges related to the children. I find that piece of information telling. Evidently, the judge did not.

I am a proponent of due process especially since I know first hand how due process can be denied. 

In this case, whose legal rights were given priority in this trial, the children or the principal? When you listen to the lawyers, the judge and this one example of legal commentary, you may form your own opinion. The following is my opinion.

I do not believe the children, of whom this trial was about, per the prosecutor and defense, received due process. Here are a few reasons why I formed this opinion. They are not listed in any scale of most importance. The reasons on my opinion are all important.

Reason 1: Was it the type of charge? A grand jury thought it was chargeable offense and a trial jury was selected and sworn in. This was not a bench trial. The 14 members of the jury were not in the courtroom when the judge made a unilateral decision. 

COULD the jury. if questioned about the validity of grand jury findings before the trial, opted out based on a question about the charges?

CAN that type of question even be asked at jury selection?  Do you think this is a valid charge? Should we proceed?  

Reason 2: The defense threw red herrings into the case to distract. I know that is a common trick of the trade, but is it due process for minors? Example: Was a student in the classroom? Was there monetary gain in a pending civil case? This questioned the motivation of the parents whose kids watched or heard gunfire in their school. The defense lawyers underplayed school policy. The defense questionned every video or policy presentation to underplay and discount their validity.

Reason 3: Underplayed seriousness of impact on the children because no child got shot or killed.

Reason 4: As difficult as it may have been, the children were not allowed to testify on their own on what they heard or witnessed, not even in a controlled setting.

Reason 5: The defense lawyer kept interrupting and used the lawyer technique of asking the same question several times. Both the judge and the prosecutor said "asked and answered" for many questions.

Reason 6: HEARSAY. The adults, staff and parents were not allowed to relay the utterances of the children. So who could speak on the children's behalf?

Reason 7: Lawyers are lawyers. They talk out of both sides of their mouths. The judge and defense lawyers, but even the prosecutor, were not willing to allow the whole senario to be flushed out.

Reason 8: The prosecutor did not ask about the relationship of the principal with staff or the shooter's parents. Was there a prejudice of any sort for the student or the shooter's parents that made the VP reluctant and fail to take more action? The parents, except for that week, evidently were sitting in the classroom daily under a plan to mitigate the violent outbursts. Did the principal know the mother carried drugs and a gun in her purse? Did the vice principal find out so the parents could not sit in class anymore?  Was child protective services involved before the shooting that teachers did not know? How did a young child become so violent?

Reason 9: No one legally requested the school records of the shooter. JT was protected more than the other children.

Reason 10: What was the racial make up of the school? Was there a DEI program in place? What training in school violence prevention program was used?

Reason 11: The video tape of the VP, done on Zoom in 2023 by the school HR representstive was shown in which the VP used the pronoun We when talking about what was done. She was covering for her inaction then. The defense tried to undermine the authotity of the HR representative. The VP is no longer employed at that school district. Did she fight for unemployment which is a court of law? How soon did she lawyer up? Why wasn't a policy expert at the school called by the prosecutor to explain the chain of command?

Reason 12 : Personal experience

I worked in a white picket fence school district. The violent child was a 7 year old, red haired white kid whose mother was a cop. The family participated in Civil War Reenactments. Someone gets shot, and you eat lunch with that "dead" person. He had access to guns.

The mother told us in a meeting that the father called me and the other teachers "bitches out to get him." The white principal had it out for me and showed a prejudice towards me, also white. (I was raised in the "hood" though in Plainfield, NJ). The Child Study Team gave nothing for the rights of my other students or for me. (My book does explain that!)

The day after the events that led me to speaking up and already in writing for my class, this note on a response to another report by a child is what I received from my principal. You may now understand why I question every school violence episode with or without a gun. 

The hearsay rebuttals by the defense attorneys was like hearing chalk scraping on a chalkboard.

I wanted to scream.

What would you do if you received this after reporting serious concerns for safety at your workplace?

P.S. Initials of minors is clearly allowed. 

Marian R. Carlino

May 23, 2026

This link is from a lawyer who has a YouTube channel. He follows and comments on trials. I only follow for the school violence related coverage. He is one of a few I pay aytention to.

 

Legal justice is important. In my opinion, this lawyer podcaster does fair coverage. I always read the comment section as well. The comments are an important part of most podcasts. 

I do not allow comments on this blog. I do not want my message confused with other commentary. My blog is not monetized. Comments can always be related on Amazon or any site when searching for my book if interested.

https://www.youtube.com/live/jt9U3a9xNUY?si=N3Tcg1kIKR47nLkn 

Love. 

Marian

From the Teacher's Desk : How costly are missed warning signs?

From the Teacher's Desk : How costly are missed warning signs?:  The 40-million-dollars?  (Originally published on April 22, 2024, edited and updated November 7, 2025.) A young teacher, who also suffered ...

Reposted from a previous post:  Updated May 17, 2026

https://marianrcarlino.blogspot.com/2019/06/time-keeps-on-slipping-into-future.html

Marian R. Carlino

May 18, 2026

If it takes a trial...Vice Principal on trial

Updated with this trial link 

https://youtu.be/KeNWi_YEgWA?si=0WjLuoNS4tgv9Ow7 

Opening arguments of the Prosecutor in the trial.

The defense attorney projected blame and stonewalled today.

The principal was not charged but did not come off really good today. 

I wonder what staff relationships were like between the staff and administration.

I will never stop talking or writing about my situation in 1998. PUT IT IN WRITING before the weapon of choice gets used. In my case, the student used hands and feet to attack others in kindergarten and first grade. My story with sworn taped testimony could gave played out as in this school. The Principal thought my violent student had special rights. My former principal was lucky it was me as the teacher. I credit my actions to prior knowledge and the death of Shannon Wright.

When a 6 year old is so violent, that teachers are assaulted, it is a miracle other children were not hurt. My educated guess is that other children were hurt, but mums the word in the land of education...even after a shooting (or assaults of any kind). Time and the court trial may just be telling. 

https://youtu.be/0q-2ODZmawQ?si=EU2XnjzktUtp-0Qg

https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/18/us/school-shooting-ebony-parker-trial

Previous post on the civil trial.

https://marianrcarlino.blogspot.com/2024/04/how-costly-are-missed-warning-signs.html

Marian R. Carlino

May 18, 2026

Trump and the right to be safe in your workplace.

Since April is Workplace Violence Awareness Month and the alledged shooter at the dinner on Saturday is supposedly a teacher, I am going to address the issue that is catching the world’s attention.

It is only through news reports, podcasts, commentary, videos and lots of Monday morning quarterbacking that most of us can comment. So I am commenting based on second hand info, watching the live coverage on Saturday night, and news reports. 

After having a wonderful day at the NFL Draft where security was very tight and law enforcement was everywhere, I settled in to watch a live podcaster who was covering the dinner. For the Draft, I had to go through security checkpoints, but it was expected . The event brought international coverage to Pittsburgh. It could have been a target.  Tight security in downtown Pittsburgh did not stop the violent youths, who have been causing problems for months,  attempt a take over of Market Square on Friday night. Mounted police prevented the violent behavior from taking control. These youths were dressed  in black but are different from a typical Antifa mob, yet probably getting paid also. I have seen both mob offenders in Pittsburgh, including the ones who were gathering to cause trouble in my town on Friday night. Police were ready. People attending the Draft were not the problems at all. They came to have a great time. 

Now for the dinner where people were gathered to have a great time. Security was high but maybe it was not locked down like a fortress because Trump is not a king and does not pretend to be one. He also was not afraid to go to an event that was held in a hotel, the scene of an assassin’s  attempt  on Ronald Reagan in 1981. I bet that fact was considered by the traveling shooter. Security is part of the problem., yes. Security has become such an issue because the violent extremes ruin lives and our freedoms, simple and more complex ones. 

If Trump was the intended target per the manifesto, others were there. Could the shooter be charged with attempted murder of almost three thousand people? Come on media, press charges also. 

Now, blaming Trump is a thing. That is like the school shooters blaming bullies. Is Trump arrogant at times, yes. Does he use bad language at times, yes. Raise your hand if you have never talked bad about anyone. I can not.  Trump has not advocated for violence against his political opponents. If you think January 6 was from Trump, you are woefully misinformed. His adversaries can not say the same about stoking flames of violence.  There are many videos out there in which Trump’s political opponents call for violence against him, his family, his employees, and followers. 

The trial, and hopefully there will be one, will give this teacher due process, which he wanted to deny to Trump and anyone else who got in triggered hands way. 

After any major event, there is a lot of discussion. Some will include MK Ultra, fake news, staged event, etc. There is a manifesto. Tred carefully. But know that in a nation that values our freedoms, this gunman took more of your rights away. People who have  concerns have the right to address them but not holding people at the point of a gun or knife in any space. Anyone shouting for gun control in the left with this attempt? Probably not. Narratives are important. How about banning knifes?

And again. Monday morning quarterbacking will get answers. I want this gunman to get a trial by his peers. His coworkers, family, students, neighbors and former teachers may all be called to testify. Their insight will be telling on this shooter but will not prevent the next violent person. There maybe someone out there who can prevent the next attempt.

Regardless of what ever theories are out there, someone had a piece of the puzzle and may have hesitated. Violent people know that about people, and since they do not value life for themselves, they do not value your life and freedoms. If you have a piece of a violent puzzle, do not toss it aside. As we can see, the “Swat team” can only prevent further damage once the plan goes into action.

PS: This alledged shooter just gave a big FU to his profession, school, family and any friends he may have had.

Marian R Carlino

April 27, 2026

April is Workplace Violence Awareness Month Your school is a place of work

Somebody always has a piece of the puzzle. 

Schools are workplaces with acceptable violence. It maybe an IEP or 504 plan which facilitates the violence and the silence. Maybe it is fear of retaliation by students and or staff. Maybe it is a woke policy.

My book may help someone get over the fear.  Dare to say no to acceptable violence. You can get another job, but once integrity is lost, your effectiveness as a teacher is gone. Don’t allow the “Peter Principal”  to dictate.  

Parents and teachers have a legal and moral obligation to work proactively.

Teachers and students have the right to be safe in their schools. Parents and the public have the right to expect safe schools.

My story starts with a real life event that led to illegal retaliation. It is not unique but I maybe unique in that I kept speaking up. My book reflects my actions.  I did not want a shooting or further violence in my class or school. My story is as timely today as it was in 1998.

What do you tolerate in your classroom?

Are you being sold lies?

And if you think the weapon is the reason, look deeper. If a staff member is part of the problem, report.

April is a month for copy cat crimes in school workplaces.

As Smokey the Bear says about forest fires,  only you can prevent school violence. 

The Columbine Effect is real because of complete failure of the parents of the killers, administration, a probation officer and police. April 20 is a day of infamy.

 Even the small acts can escalate. Don’t let your workplace become an infamous statistic.

Marian R. Carlino 

April 11, 2036

Shannon Wright

Today is the 28th anniversary of  Shannon Wright’s death. She stood between a bullet and a child. Shannon died, the child lived. The young shooters did not extinguish their own lives.

Shannon’s actions resonated in my entire being on March 24, 1998. The trajectory of my life changed that day because I knew it was too late for Shannon but not for my class and school. 

If you do not do anything else today, please give a prayer of thanksgiving for Shannon. And ASK yourself, does a situation in a school have to get so bad that students and staff have to die.

I will never forget. The news will not allow it. But, more importantly, Shannon deserves to be remembered.

Marian R Carlino

March 24,2026 

I have fallen and I can’t get up.

Senior citizens and adults, with aging parents, know about panic buttons. There are many commercials, advising of the usefulness of the technology. These necklace devices may be the difference between life and death. Imagine if NG in Arizona had one, would her disappearance still be unresolved? I have not heard any of the commentators analyze that scenario. This button has been around a long time. When accidents happen, time is of the essence.

Now in 2026, we heard in the trial of Colin Gray, the teacher, in the Apalachee High School,  testified that she pushed a button on a device she wore around her neck. Her story is sad. Thankfully, the school had a plan; even so, murders did happen. A child's 911 call is on this video also. 

https://youtu.be/uhbg6k-hHaw?si=lYsStu7rUmwpzXIt

In my book, I wrote of panic buttons at a University. I saw them myself in rooms used for instruction in one of the most iconic buildings in Pittsburgh. A newspaper article advised of them also. The university had experienced trouble, but not a massacre on the campus.

Panic button technology used in schools is now part of the cottage industry that has grown in response to school shootings. Not that long ago, we only had wall phones in classrooms. Back when I was teaching, if a teacher had a cell phone, using it could result in discipline action. Calling 911 without administrative permission was not encouraged either.

Cell phones in classrooms are still debated but like most technology, they can be used to solve problems or create more issues. Hmm..kind of like a gun, car, knife, penis, fist etc. The use of a cell phone is only as good as the "heart" is of the person holding it. (Read Controlling the Trigger in this blog.)

Panic buttons on a person are for the rescue and recovery stage of accidents/violence. When do you use Northstar in your car?

In looking through videos, it has been years since this technology has been in consideration. This video is 7 years old.

https://youtu.be/VbDEX6iAYvQ?si=auxsWN1Lo45Mcb8v 

12 years ago at a front desk a silent alarm:

chttps://youtu.be/SGewQ3jsU9Q?si=iLyfJpKXcOoyeKx5

You can research companies, videos, school bus safety buttons. Techology is grand. But as we see in many situations, it is an astute person or even an animal that can detect an issue before panic has to set in.

Pray for our children. And, use your gut instinct. It just may be the difference in prevention or rescue and recovery.

ASK..your school district if teachers have panic buttons. Also ask for violence reports and pay attention to your own kids.

Marian R. Carlino

March 20, 2026

Killers do research of other school shooters. Are you paying attention?

Are you paying attention? 

Kids who kill, regardless of the weapon used, do research. They may not do research on benign subjects for school assignments but 20/20 autopsies show a deep interest and research into other murders. 

Months of planning the murders is what the court found. Bombs and explosives searched so the gun in the case highlighted below, was not the only weapon used or planned to be used.

You think your kids deserve privacy on a computer, think again.

The first person in this trial was mutilated with a knife, the younger brother murdered the older brother. Then the killer took his killing to the streets with a gun. The killer said he stole the gun and he hated people. 

People in the neighborhood, out just for a walk or running or doing their job, were maliciously murdered.

A school was spared this time. 

Foreseeable.   Well planned.  Not insane.  

People in the neighborhood.  

Act locally at home, school and  community for prevention.  

Different videos of the trial are in links below. The judge does highlight the victims. No due process for the victims, including a dog.

Parents said no red flags proceeding the murders. Did anyone look in his room at least for dirty laundry? The killer did not like his mother per the note written. 

His teachers testisfied for the defense. They did not see warning signs. 

Who did?  Did James, the brother who no longer can speak?

The shooter survived a self inflicted gunshot to the head and was cleared to stand trial. 

https://youtu.be/8uueSwb1jQA?si=ujrpmEX-NtFS7hkO

 https://youtu.be/cFQDPOHL2DU?si=kfAg66cx7PyCL1Oy

https://youtu.be/2NMQmaOTEEM?si=TRAqNMMEirjMLVlO

https://youtu.be/OMkTR0_SCh0?si=2V_WFRU1n1PgQuMj

https://youtu.be/XUM1K2S4Hms?si=DYZF5i-UgoSQ0ozm

https://youtu.be/jjiBIhVxumc?si=9KC6bR5IwVLEZvBv

Marian R. Carlino

March 7, 2026

 

Parents can go to trial and be found guilty of involuntary manslaughter Crumbley parents, Oxford High School 2021

With so much going on in the world, why focus on what seems to be isolated cases regarding school violence?  

Have you heard the phrase or slogan, “think globally, act locally”? I believe we have the greatest impact when we act locally. Locally doesn’t have to mean anything more than within the walls of your own home, whether you live alone or in a family. The Gray family in Georgia and the Crumbley family in Michigan are real examples of letting violence spill from their home into the school community. The impact is at least national. So many YouTube videos prove my point.

What we do, does matter. Keep water running in your apartment, and it could flood 4 other apartments. Trust me, I have first hand experience with someone flooding my apartment and 3 others. Maybe your tree grows roots that are from an invasive  species, and it ruins a neighbor’s grass. Yes, I actually published an editorial on that issue.

When children act violently in a classroom, in general a well controlled public setting, chances are high that the behavior is not unique to the school setting. Have you heard of the expression “street angel, house devil”? Public persona is important to most people unless one is a sociopath or psychopath.. Most normal people let their “hair down” at home and can act with respect and appropriately in public. So red flags should be considered when the home beliefs and behaviors spill into the public sector especially when the behaviors are violent.

If you tell me that the kid acting out in school gives no problem at home, I would say you are living with a bucket on your head. 

The current trial under way in Georgia  and the 2024 trial of the parents of the Oxford High School shooter were a long time in coming.

If you are a parent, family member, work in a school, are a licensed physician or psychiatrist, or a person not living under a rock, these trials have more than local impact. The trial is public. Fortunately, the media took an interest. The Georgia father’s trial is streaming on many YouTube channels.

I also think school districts hold culpability if direct knowledge is known or illegal access to the school is allowed due to negligence or the “nothing can happen here” mentality. To some  2021 and 2024 are ancient history. The 2025 and 2026 school years have examples of school shootings too. 

With each shooting, more constraints are on put on others who are truly innocent.

Maybe a reminder is needed of when you know something, say something. Do not falsely accuse, but concerns are usually validated. 

April is a huge anniversary month for school shootings. The Columbine Effect is real. Copycat crimes are real. Prevention verses intervention verses rescue and recovery, choose wisely. It is true, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say.

And for global sake, don’t buy your troubled or mentally ill child a gun. Sometimes the gun is turned on the family members first. Kip Kinkle in May 1998 and Adam Lanza in 2012. Don’t let your local area become a global scandal.

https://www.youtube.com/live/Z6Kum4amxc8?si=iICw5WMJPUH0UiwS 

Think locally, act globally. 

Marian R. Carlino

March 1, 2026

Google search of Emails and Texts Prove School Shootings are Preventable Apalache School Shooting: Father of shooter on trial

 My experience from 1998 is documented in a book because I believed then, as I do now, that school shootings can be prevented.

The trial of the father, thankfully, is televised.

I believe the trial should be a must listen. I am not into mandates, so I ask you to share the many YouTubers and or share the many videos.

Lawyers like to get on board after a shooting, so many are covering the trial. Everyone has their reasons. My interest has been public since March 24, 1998.

I have attached a link to one video of the expert testimony about the text messsges and emails.

Unless you are HRC, do not think your emails or texts can be hidden. 

PS: HRC's weren't either. They are just not public.

The emails and texts are made public here of the shooter and seversl family members.

The father is on trial on very serious charges. Let this be a trial to be used as a lesson.

Google search of the emails and text messages There is an ad before the video starts.

https://youtu.be/JAxa9FwKG9s?si=thAgBRAZr4kwgnUS

Pray for opening eyes. It is too late for this family and the carnage brought to Apalachee High School. Don't let it be too late for your family, ftiends, community, school, or even the world.

Guns, illegal giving of Zoloft, and inaction or heads in ignorance...

Ignorance is not a defense

Maybe your voice, sharing info, or written word can be a piece of the puzzle in prevention.

Marian R. Carlino

February 28, 2026

Georgia School Shooting September 4, 2024, Father on trial, should the mother also be on trial

***Updated March 3, 2026 The father of the school shooter has been found guilty. He faces a possible  180 years in prison.****

 The trials in school shootings are always about Monday Morning Quarterbacking.

This trial is no different, except that the father is on trial with criminal charges for supplying the gun to his very troubled child.  Troubled child or not, this father gave a gun to his minor child who then used it to commit murder.

You can probably tell where my prejudice lies. It is not with the shooter, the father and after the mother's testimony, it is definitely not with her. The mother medicated the shooter with zoloft which was her prescription per testimony.

A clear case of dysfunctional parenting led to the school shooting.  Is that anything new? I think not.

Watch the coverage of at least the mother's testimony.  Lots of law tube shows are following it, for example Court TV.  

There is additional testimony that is interesting also. It is the principal's testimony from a previous school.

Monday morning quarter backing will not bring the lives back of the staff and children killed. But maybe a sensible person will listen and try to do better for our kids in other schools.

School shootings are common, not rare. The trials of parents are rare but should be more common in situations like this.

If you give access to a a gun to a child, troubled or not, make sure you understand the consequences to you if it is used for murder, because you deserve to be put on trial. 

I am tired of every gun owner being punished when people like the shooter's family act so irresponsibly.

The child killer could have used a knife, but he used a gun given to him by the father. There are laws that are meant to prevent this shooting. If the kid had been an underage driver, not legally able to drive, who drove a car into the school, wouldn't you expect the same type of responsibility? I would.

Part of Mother's testimony. It is still live today, February 23, 2026. Find the whole video as it becomes available:

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=mother+testifies+in+school+shooting+trial&mid=8F11BB8B2123564AAEDB8F11BB8B2123564AAEDB&churl=&mcid=98ABC04AC973

Listen to what the mother did to her mother. It was criminal. The grandmother's tedtimony is telling. 

Principal of previous school:

https://youtu.be/8G5rp7lQWcY?si=8kGZhhosw1Vy_MTJ

School shootings are preventable. When they are not, trials like this one should happen.

School counselor at high school where shooting happened. She at least listened to the grandmother.

https://www.youtube.com/live/Uqq75JWupUA?si=-FbOszqYFsTrgRmP

The kid's trial hasn't started yet. His lawyers will probably use this trial to get the shooter a lower sentence. 

They could put the shooter and his parents in the same cell forever. Maybe then parenting could become a priority for them.

Marian R. Carlino

February 23, 2026.

Dear Reader and Media Frenzy

 

January 5, 2026 updated edited for blog publication on February 8, 2026

Dear Reader,

In 2023 after listening to the publisher on a podcast, I decided to take a leap of faith and write my story, in book form. I had been writing blogs and editorials for many years. My editorials and posts hit home or at least hit nerves. My publisher believed my story was worth telling.

On April 20, 2024, my book was released. It is a combination of narrative, sworn taped testimony, and observations. The date of April 20 is significant. It had been 26 years since April 20, 1998, when the motivation to speak and write had been documented in legal testimony in a closed-door hearing.

My story is still timely and significant. Backed up by sworn taped testimony, it is my story of trying to get help for a troubled child, and the retaliation that followed.

I do not write as a victim, I write as a voice who spoke up before any serious, irrevocable violence could happen in my class and school. I write as a voice, who continued to address the issues that happen in our nation’s schools, even when my own administration tried to silence my voice. I write as a voice that overcame the fear of retaliation when others just wanted to bury their heads in paychecks. I write as a voice of reason with practical advice.

I write with a faith-based foundation, but my particular faith is for me. No one should take my faith beliefs as an insult to theirs but rather see it as a way I worked through the difficult times.

I write to encourage others to speak up. The Columbine High School mass shooting happened on April 20, 1999, one year to the day after I was called incompetent for seeking help for a young child. I write with confidence and competency.

I write, present tense, because as long as I am able to speak, I will be a voice against the violence.

I am asking you to read my book and to share it with others.

Sincerely,

Marian R. Carlino

Update:  I am including this on my blog. I sent this note to various podcasters, lawyers and people with whom I have watched or interacted.  

Today, someone posted on a Telegram channel about the extreme media coverage of a missing, and now possibly presumed dead, mother of an internationally famous news correspondent. The story is sad but brings international attention and coverage because of the daughter. The missing woman was not famous in her own right. The person on Telegram asked why the millions of stories of non-famous people are not covered at such depths.  I responded that it is a disconnect and looking at inner responsibility. Even in our own neighborhoods and families, some stories are passed off as not important. I gave a few examples.

Well to God, all people are important. He actually knows it all. He knows the story of the unknown person.

I took comfort in that knowledge in 1998 since my story, although then drawing the attention of a local reporter, seemed not to matter to people outside of my classroom. Best friends, colleagues and family members took no notice of my story or tried to ignore it. But I knew my story was important then and still is now.

My book has not made the NY Times Best seller list. Is it because of my style of writing? I am reading a book by Dorothy Day. She had connections, but her style of writing is really not any different than mine, although she wrote from a socialist point of view and I do not. She also like protests a lot more than I do!

My story may be hard for some to read. It involves personal responsibility in our own families, school and neighborhoods. If we stay local, our efforts could have national impact. Jesus did not travel the world on the seven seas!

I encourage you to read my book. In a violent world, as we see daily, one will see that stories are important, you may not miss the piece of the puzzle next time a preventable event has its eyes set on your community.

The people in the small community north of Tucson, Arizona have been interviewed this week. They say they have never seen anything like this before.  Surprisingly, I have not heard anyone say, "We never thought it could happen here."

Violence impacts us all, maybe that is why the missing person in Tucson, Arizona reminds us that none of us are immune. What else can we learn by the current media frenzy in the small community?

Marian R. Carlino

February 8, 2026

FACE it... violence is a continuum.

The news is usually full of information on violence. Violence sells.  Have you been to a movie lately? All that Hollywood talk about non-violence is just fake news. I am not interested in the movies that glorify violence, but I am interested in some of these news stories because they open up conversations that most people do not want to have, well unless you want to lose friends. I have been there and done that.

Did anyone watch any of the Uvalde school shooting trial featuring a police officer?  The jury did figure out that he could not be pinned with the 29 counts of abandonment and negligence. The testimony showed that the whole school community failed although only one other person, also a police officer, is also going to trial. Maybe that will fail also. There is no statute of limitations on murder but in Uvalde the murderer died at the scene. Do you know that some believe, like Sandy Hook, that Uvalde was not real? Their theories lead to more sinister plots, if it was all staged. 

I digress from my original intent of this post.  I am posting about the protestors out on the street who have crossed lines. Their behaviors have led to deadly consequences. Their protests are anything but peaceful so they are met with responses that have been deadly.

I know what the FACE Act is. I had to know when participating in prayer vigils or Pro-life activities. For several years I faced harassment as an advocate for prolife. People considered our presence as an intrusion. Standing on public sidewalks in prayer is protected speech but there are actual lines that cannot be crossed. Most respect those lines. The ones who do not respect the lines, have had legal consequences. Some who actually respected the lines, have also faced consequences. It is a risk one takes when advocating in public. Lines are called Buffer Zones in front of abortion clinics.

The protests about ICE have broken lines, literally. Most recent headlines are about the line between a door and a sanctuary. I for one would like to see the proverbial book thrown at the "independent journalist" and the group that he was recording before, during and after the entrance into the church in Minneapolis. I attend a church and want the protection our Constitution guarantees. I wonder how the children who faced the wrath of a hater at the school Mass in Minneapolis are doing. Afterall, churches and schools are supposed to be safe places at all times, right? The protestors were violent; they just did not use deadly violence. 

Does anyone remember when there was a massacre in a Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh? How about the church burnings in the South or when the young adult entered a house of faith and killed nine people in S.C years ago? Anyone?   There are links below to remind anyone who has forgotten.

I am not a legal expert, and I don't play one on TV, so I am posting links to two interviews with Harmeet Dhillon, a legal expert. Catherine Herridge, on Straight to the Point a joint effort with the LA Times, interviewed Harmeet Dhillon in her first episode in early November 2025 and then again in early February 2026. 

Listen carefully to the interviews. Whose voice will you heed, an "independent journalist" who enters a church with protestors or a legal expert who was once a journalist?

If voices are not a concern in terms of the continuum of violence, listen to the report in the link about the few days' old news briefing by a Sheriff regarding a planned massacre at a church near Tampa, Florida? A 14-year-old has been arrested. In addition to other charges, would this kid be charged with the FACE Act violation if his plans were not found out before the evil plan was discovered by internet sleuths? Throw the book at him too, he may be a victim himself, but evil is evil. Churches in this 14-year-old neighborhood are now being monitored for safety reasons.

Violence is a continuum. When do you want it to stop, inside or outside the protected space. FACE it. Bill Clinton signed the FACE Act into law in 1994. The FACE Act is not about political lines, or is it?

You decide. The most recent protestors will hopefully face an educated jury of their peers and not politically motivated or fearful jurers.

Harmeet Dhillon links:  

https://youtu.be/58KrZF1b0bQ?si=yGgiYYaQG-7WH_vn

https://youtu.be/HXqCuxcjsYM?si=8f4a21CYeArBm8jJ

Link for Sheriff interview:

https://www.youtube.com/live/wIYLWGAB88s?si=01QB5uh5IQ2vuC33

Church Massacre

https://youtu.be/uMzZtMd9V50?si=OmzCywC22gOTpVfW

Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre

https://youtu.be/L_47AE3-FtE?si=ZT2WFOKH9lbES-7c

Marian R. Carlino

February 6, 2026

Uvalde and Locked Doors: When do we lock doors, before or after the tragedy?

It seems as though the first reports about the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and locked doors held some weight in the events of May 2, 2022, and now the trial. The unlocked doors and disregarding protocol or training is a big part of the questioning of witnesses in the current trial of the former policeman.  

I am critical of responses from law enforcement. But in real time many years ago, I was critical of unlocked and wide-open doors at the schools in my community.  School staff just couldn't get the concept that wide open doors can invite trouble. They had paid no attention to the information that had come out of the Columbine High School massacre.

I think the people from my former community are just lucky that a someone did not enter, especially the perpetrator who was chased across the roof at one of the schools, during the school day. I digress.

This brief note is to get people to read about or listen to the testimony coming out of the trial. If only we can learn from the mistakes of the past.

.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPLWIl-pkIg

Lock the doors before a lock down is necessary.

Marian R. Carlino

January 2, 2026

When is a murder considered school violence? The Kohlberger's victim families think his murders are related to school violence

I pay attention to violence on school campuses because of my history as a teacher who was shut down for speaking up to prevent escalating violent disruptions in my classroom. I usually do not read about every murder trial other than some mainstream media coverage or some discussions by Monday morning quarterbacking experts or YouTube commentators.

For several years now, I have been watching some of the podcasts or videos of the lawyer who posted the link below. He is a Canadian lawyer. I found him during the early part of the pandemic. I find him credible and not an alarmist nor a showman.

This lawyer has done a review, a little over an hour long, of the civil lawsuit that has been filed against Washington State University. by the family of Kohlberger's victims. He was an employee of that University although the murders were of students at the University of Idaho. The 126-page civil lawsuit is reviewed in its entirety with commentary.

The killings fall into the school violence category, not only because they occurred to students but because the murderer, an employee of a university, was an employee of the University that is being sued.

The allegations against the University of Washington have not been heard in court. I hope the lawsuit goes to trial and is not dismissed, settled or signed off with confidentiality statements.

Per this information, the murderer had documented offenses even in high school. As you listen to the details listed in the lawsuit and the commentary, you may wonder why nothing was really done before the murders. You will learn that reports were submitted.

If you ask after listening to the review, could these murders been prevented, you may find your answer to be, "of course".

As the lawyer does state, in hindsight, one would wonder why more was not done. Per the lawsuit, the conversation was had about Kohlberger at the University of Washington. Threat assessments are an important part of college campuses. The Clery Act and FERPA allow colleges and universities to act before murders are committed.

Why didn't the University of Washington Act? You will learn in this video that the fear of civil lawsuits played a part.  Does that fear ring a bell for you?  It sure does ring a bell for me. My school district in 1998 retaliated against me for fear of lawsuits. 

Like violence, lawsuits are hidden until chaos erupts. Virginia Tech faced multiple lawsuits after the killing there in 2007. The Clery Act and FERPA were updated after the murders at Virginia Tech. 

The University of Washington may or may not have seen this lawsuit coming, but it has arrived. They may even find large fines because of The Clery Act and FERPA regulations.

Runkle of the Bailey does a good review. He does not get technical or use legalese. He has a slant but mainly reads the 126 pages with limited opinion commentary.

If prevention is worth a pound of cure, the University of Washington will most likely pay out lots of pounds whether we hear about it or not. There are 364 bullet points in the lawsuit.

Those who only follow school shootings are missing many of the violence on college campuses.

This lawsuit took me by surprise; it may take you by surprise also. 

I continued to speak up because history repeats itself. Silence allowed this perpetrator to get away with murder even though he will live the rest of his life in prison.

Families of Kohberger's Victims Sue Washington State University - Court Document Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eS0i-F0VHs&t=590s 

Marian Carlino

January 18, 2026

Uvalde Revisited January 2026

 About two weeks ago, the trial for the police officer from the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas started. Parents have testified. Teachers have testified. Law enforcement has been called in. The history of the officer's training is under discussion as I type this. Columbine High School has been referenced several times today.

The Columbine High School massacre, April 20, 1999, was a water shed event that occurred at least eight months after the Guide to Safe Schools was published in 1998. The principal in the Columbine tragedy was treated like a hero, much to my chagrin. 

Like chalk scratching on the blackboard, these trials bring back memories of my experience in March and April 1998, (a full year before Columbine became a killing field) with Uvalde being over two decades later on May 24, 2022. My story is about prevention.

The characters are different in every trial, but the scenes are the same. Failure to recognize signs, failure to respond, failure to follow safety rules. Like every school shooting, documentaries and lots of news articles have been written. Someone ends up on trial. Since many of the shooters take their own lives or are killed at the scene, trials for the actual person who does the shooting are not always possible. The trial of the shooter from the Parkland, Florida high school massacre (February 14, 2018) was interesting to say the least. The witnesses were not much different from the witnesses in this current trial of the police officer.

From the day of the tragedy on May 24, 2022, unlocked doors and uncontrolled access to the building has been in the discussion. This trial is highlighting the doors, training, standard operating procedures for school safety, drills and the response of the officers. The defendant in this trial, Adrian Gonzales, is facing 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment in relation to how he responded to the events.

The testimony on January 12, 2026, by the fourth-grade teacher, shot in the attack, addressed questions about doors and protocol. He was asked about his actions that day before, during and after the gunman entered the school.  This teacher also had to identify the students' pictures from his class who were killed and or injured. The camera never showed his face but did focus on his scarred arm. He was asked if he still taught. His last day of teaching was on May 24, 2022.

Expert testimony evidently is being treated differently from school district personnel testimony because the current witness, a law enforcement officer, called to the school, can have his face shown?  Another officer, in full uniform, is testifying on video also has his face shown.

No matter how this trial ends, nothing on May 24, 2022, can be undone. Controversy will continue to swirl. The victims are still dead.

Some of the comments in the YouTube chats thought it was terrible that the teacher and parents have to relive the day. I disagree. As hard as it is, trials do bring out facts if people are telling the truth, questions go unanswered without trials.

Is this man the only person who should stand trial for the tragedy? The jury is still out.

Pay attention. Even though school districts train for such scenarios, they hope it never happens and sadly, many will say, we never thought it could happen here. These trials remind us it can and does.

Court TV Day 5 has the testimony of the fourth-grade teacher.

LIVE: TX v. Adrian Gonzales - Day 5 | Uvalde School Massacre Trial

Today, January 13, 2026, is Day 6 of the trial.

What lessons can be learned?

Marian R. Carlino

January 13, 2026