It's a no-politics, fact-focused book signing event at Barnes & Noble in Fairfax, VA where I hope to hear your thoughts on ways to reduce violence, whether through changes we make in our homes, laws, or attitudes.

FBI researchers found a decrease from 61 incidents in 2022, to 48 this past year. That's a 21% decrease in two years. The numbers are still higher than in the past decade, but they are moving in the right direction. I attribute that to stronger threat assessment teams, social awareness about warning signs, and better-prepared police and civilians.

In this unbiased TEDx Talk, Katherine draws from her expertise in the FBI to analyze America’s gun culture and propose the first few steps forward to achieve a societal change in the wake of hundreds of shootings per year.

This crime is often called swatting, because those responding may include Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams. Swatting isn’t a new crime and has historically been used to harass an enemy by having the police show up at their door. But this is a new twist.

At a glance, this might undermine your faith and belief in the work of law enforcement. But as a former law enforcement officer myself, I invite you to remember that every day officers face different challenges that come with each encounter with the people they are charged to protect.

Blaming mental instability for every shooting is an easy trap to fall into. I’ve had plenty of conversations that start with, “Hey how can they not be mentally deranged when they are doing that?” Next time you hear that, remember these details.