New Gun Violence PSA Takes on POV of School Shooter
“Point of View” takes place during a regular high school day, showing the events through the eyes of a school shooter. The shooter is silent, ignored and bullied by turns before finally bursting into a school auditorium with a gun and yelling “Look at me!” while his peers recoil in fear.
- By Jessica Davis
- December 11, 2018
A new PSA from Sandy Hook Promise takes on the point of view of an ostracized and angry student to show viewers the warning signs of a potential school shooter. The new video follows last year’s PSA, “Tomorrow’s News,” which played on the familiar post-tragedy news cycle to show the importance of speaking up about signs of potential gun violence.
The video, embedded below, was released Monday, four days before the sixth anniversary of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which left 20 children and six adult staff members dead. Sandy Hook Promise was founded and is led by several family members of the victims.
“Point of View” takes place during a regular high school day, showing the events through the eyes of a school shooter. The shooter is silent, ignored and bullied by turns before finally bursting into a school auditorium with a gun and yelling “Look at me!” while his peers recoil in fear.
“Most people only notice a shooter once it’s too late,” reads text at the end of the video. “See the signs and stop a shooting before it happens.”
Sandy Hook Promise hopes that the PSA, part of its “Know the Signs” program, will raise awareness of the warning signs of a potential school shooter, such as a fascination with weapons, threats of violence and feelings of extreme isolation.
The organization stresses that one warning sign by itself doesn’t mean that a person is planning to enact violence, but it’s important to speak up if many connected signs are observed over time.
“By knowing the signs” of potential gun violence, “you have the power to intervene and get help for that person,” according to Sandy Hook Promise. “Your actions can save lives.”
About the Author
Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.