School safety experts, father of student killed in Sandy Hook shooting in Pittsburgh this week

PITTSBURGH — School safety experts from all over the country, along with the father of a child who was shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, are in Pittsburgh for a conference.

Mark Barden started Sandy Hook Promise in honor of his son, Daniel.

“I will always be sad and angry that an act of preventable gun violence took him away from all of us when he was 7 years old,” Barden said.

Barden is also involved with Pennsylvania’s Safe2Say Something tip line, the nation’s first statewide tip line where students can submit anonymous reports online. It’s run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

“Since the program came online in January 2019, it has given a voice to more than 76,000 children in Pennsylvania who were looking for help,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said.

The top five categories of tips include bullying, self-harm, suicidal intention, depression and drug use.

If you’re interested in the National Tipline Conference with Sandy Hook Promise, CLICK HERE for the agenda and to register. It is virtual this year and runs through Friday.

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