‘Doing something’ by connecting the dots before violence occurs

Do “something” but end up with the same thing?

In the days since the mass shooting at a Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, a familiar refrain has echoed across the Twin Cities: “Do something.” It’s an honest plea born of grief and fear. But too often, “do something” becomes the path back to the same things —vigils, task forces, hardened doors and drills — while the conditions that enable targeted violence remain intact.

If we truly want different results, we need a different first principle: prevention. Not in the abstract, but in the practical sense of identifying and managing risk before violence occurs. Minnesota can do this by expanding Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) across schools, workplaces and faith communities.

BTAM is not a theory or a political s