‘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 slogan. It’s a disciplined, research-based practice used nationwide to reduce the risk of targeted attacks. Decades of investigations show that most offenders travel a “pathway to violence.” They rarely “snap.” Instead, they progress through stages — grievances that harden, fixation on a person or place, planning and leakage of intent, acquisition of weapons or means. Along that path, people around them often notice warning behaviors: threats, stalking, menacing communications, drastic changes in mood or function, and other red flags.

The problem is not that red flags don’t exist; it’s that they’re seen in isolation. A teacher notices one change. A coach hears a troubling comment. A relative sees a social media post. A faith leader senses mounting anger. Each piece, alone, may not seem like a crisis. Without a structured way to connect the dots and intervene, opportunities for prevention are lost —and the community is left to “do something” after the fact.

BTAM builds the structure we’re missing. A community team — composed of educators, mental health professionals, social workers, law enforcement (where appropriate) and community or faith leaders — meets regularly, receives referrals, evaluates behaviors of concern and designs proportionate interventions. The goal isn’t punishment, profiling or pushing people out. It is problem-solving: stabilizing someone in crisis, addressing the grievance, reducing access to means and building layered safety plans when risk is higher.

Many cases resolve with support and monitoring; a small subset require tighter controls and coordination with law enforcement. In every case, the focus is behavior and risk — not identity or ideology.

Minnesota already has many of the ingredients to scale this work: strong school and community networks, respected health systems, engaged faith communities and city leaders who know collaboration is the only way local public safety truly improves. What we need now is to bring those pieces together with intent.

Here’s what “doing what works” can look like in the Twin Cities:

Train people to recognize and refer. Give educators, pastors, employers and frontline staff practical tools to spot concerning behavior and clear, safe pathways to refer concerns without stigma.

Stand up multidisciplinary teams. In schools, workplaces, colleges and faith communities, designate BTAM teams that meet routinely, use a common framework and coordinate with neighboring teams. Violence does not respect organizational boundaries; our prevention system shouldn’t either.

Prioritize mental health access and continuity. Many interventions are therapeutic, not punitive. Ensure warm handoffs, quick access to care and support for families who are often the first to notice risk and the last to be offered help.

Measure what matters. Track referrals, interventions, time to engagement and outcomes. Transparent, privacy-respecting metrics help communities learn, improve and sustain trust.

Practice and rehearse. Just as we drill fire safety, teams should practice how to respond when risk escalates — tightening safety plans, engaging partners and communicating responsibly.

This approach is not a substitute for other debates. People will continue to argue about criminal statutes, firearms policy and security hardware. But those arguments — pro or con— do not absolve us from building a prevention system that can change a trajectory before it becomes a headline. Hardened doors and “run, hide, fight” can limit harm in the moment. Only prevention reduces the odds that the moment arrives.

Some will ask whether BTAM risks labeling people or chilling speech. The answer is to do the work well: focus on observable behaviors, use proportionate responses, protect privacy and ensure due process. The best teams are transparent about their mission, set clear thresholds for action, and audit themselves for bias and fairness. When communities see that the goal is help first, safety always, trust grows.

We can keep “doing something” and end up with the same thing — or we can roll up our sleeves and build what works. Let’s connect the dots before tragedy connects them for us. Let’s equip the adults closest to the warning signs. Let’s stand up BTAM teams in the places Minnesotans learn, worship and work.

The next safer day in Minnesota won’t be an accident. It will be the result of communities choosing prevention on purpose — together.

Jameson Ritter is one of fewer than 280 Certified Threat Managers (CTM) through the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals and former president of ATAP’s Great Lakes Chapter. He serves as safety and security director for Ascension Catholic Academy and is founder of Threatwise Global, helping schools, workplaces and faith communities build research-based prevention programs.

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