Stop the Killing

An important conversation for parents and teachers of children with special needs.
Why we're revisiting this episode
In light of the heartbreaking school shooting in Bend, Oregon, where a special education classroom was attacked, we felt it was important to bring this episode from May 2024 back to the main STOP THE KILLING feed.
When we talk about school shootings, lockdowns and emergency preparedness, are we doing enough to consider children with additional needs?
What happens when a child cannot follow standard lockdown instructions, evacuate independently, or respond to an emergency in the same way as their classmates?
These are questions every school should be asking.
For parents of children with additional needs, special education teachers, school administrators and those responsible for school safety, this episode offers invaluable insight into an area of emergency planning that is too often overlooked.
Our hearts are with the families, teachers and entire Bend community.
We hope revisiting this conversation helps more people think about what truly inclusive school safety looks like.
Original Episode: Who's Left Out When Disaster Strikes? — School Safety Blind Spots (S4E54)
Featuring Stefan Bjes
In this episode, Sarah Ferris and Katherine Schweit are joined by Stefan Bjes, a seasoned law enforcement and campus safety professional whose work focuses on the unique challenges faced by students with special needs during emergencies.
Drawing on his professional experience and personal motivation for advocating for children with additional needs, Stefan shares valuable insights into how schools, law enforcement and families can work together to create more inclusive emergency preparedness plans.
We explore why traditional school safety drills may not work for every student, the importance of understanding individual communication and behavioural needs, and why children with disabilities must be considered from the very beginning of school safety planning — not as an afterthought.
It's a conversation about recognising the gaps, asking better questions and making sure no child is left out when disaster strikes.
If you are a parent, teacher, school resource officer or school safety professional, please listen and share this episode with anyone who could benefit.
Stefan Bjes — Resources and Further Reading
Stefan has shared valuable resources on autism awareness, law enforcement interactions and inclusive school emergency preparedness.
School Safety Drills for Students with Special Needs — Campus Safety Magazine
https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/news/school-safety-drills-for-students-with-special-needs/
Interacting with Autism: A School Resource Officer Approach — Campus Safety Magazine
https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/news/interacting-with-autism-a-school-resource-officer-approach/
Wandering and Autism: What Cops Need to Know — Calibre Press
https://www.calibrepress.com/2020/04/what-cops-need-to-know-about-autism-wandering/
What Cops Need to Know About Autism — Calibre Press
https://www.calibrepress.com/2019/08/copsandautism/
For Officer, Missing Kids with Autism Hits Home — National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2020/for-officer-missing-kids-with-autism-hits-home
Stefan Bjes — Blue Line Spectrum Safety
http://www.bluelinespectrumsafety.com
About Stefan Bjes — Blue Light Consultants
https://www.blue-light-consultants.com/about-us/stefan-bjes-bio
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Stay Connected
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Katherine Schweit — Books and Resources:
https://katherineschweit.com/books/
Discover more podcasts from Sarah Ferris Media:
https://www.sarahferrismedia.com
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What happens after a school shooting, when the headlines fade but the trauma remains?
Following the devastating shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, former FBI agent Katherine Schweit examines what happens next — from the ongoing police investigation to the emotional impact on children, families and the wider community.
Drawing on her 20 years with the FBI, Katherine explains how victim assistance programmes, schools and local organisations support communities after mass violence, and shares practical advice for parents helping children navigate grief and trauma.
In this episode:
Why the Bend school shooting investigation continues after the shooter's death.
How the FBI and Bend-La Pine Schools are supporting victims and families.
How to talk to children about school shootings, grief and loss.
Why childhood trauma and recovery don't follow a timetable.
What communities can learn from Sandy Hook, Columbine and Virginia Tech.
Why some families may be afraid to access support.
A powerful reminder that the response to a school shooting doesn't end when the headlines disappear.
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Follow STOP THE KILLING:
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Katherine Schweit: https://www.katherineschweit.com
RESOURCES
Bend-La Pine Schools: https://www.blschools.org
National Child Traumatic Stress Network: https://www.nctsn.org
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): Call or text 988.
MORE FROM SARAH FERRIS MEDIA
Our other podcasts: https://sarahferrismedia.com/shows
CONmunity • Watching Two Detectives • Klooghless: The Long Con • The Bravery Academy • Guilty Greenie
CONmunity Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conmunitypodcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sarahferrismedia
Website: https://www.sarahferrismedia.com
Content advisory: Discussion of a school shooting, child victims, grief and trauma.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A survivor's firsthand account. New details about what happened inside the school. And the questions investigators still need to answer.
On 15 October 2026, a 16-year-old gunman entered Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, killing three children, aged five, eight and eleven, and 25-year-old teacher Megan Lambert. Another child and educational assistant Becky Drury were injured.
In this special STOP THE KILLING bonus episode, former FBI agent and founder of the FBI's Active Shooter Program Katherine Schweit examines the latest developments in the investigation.
At the heart of the episode is a powerful statement from Becky Drury, who survived serious gunshot injuries and has spoken publicly to correct inaccurate reporting about her actions during the attack.
Katherine shares Becky's account and walks listeners through the emerging timeline, including the actions of a passing motorist, a teacher who confronted the attacker and an armed parent who ultimately stopped the shooter.
In this episode:
What Becky Drury says happened inside the classroom.
Why accurate reporting matters for victims and survivors.
The timeline of the shooting and the actions of those who intervened.
How the firearm used may have influenced the events.
The unanswered questions about school security, firearm access and prevention.
Why Katherine believes we need to focus on solutions, not just the tragedy itself.
This is the beginning of a series of conversations Katherine hopes to share about the Bend shooting, the investigation and what communities can learn about preventing targeted violence.
Support STOP THE KILLING on Patreon
Our paid Patreon members received early access to this bonus episode. Join our community to support independent, expert-led discussions about violence prevention and receive early access to selected bonus content.
https://www.patreon.com/stopthekilling
Content warning: Discussion of a school shooting involving children, including descriptions of serious injuries.
Information discussed reflects reporting and statements available at the time of recording. Investigative findings may change as further details emerge.
STOP THE KILLING — Understanding violence. Preventing tragedy.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can a 10-year-old girl be murdered, and then have her family spend years fighting to have her name and story heard?
Her name was Bridgette “Biddy” Porter.
She was creative, funny, kind and full of life. She loved writing poetry, making videos and dreaming about her future.
On 8 July 2020, Biddy was murdered in New South Wales, Australia.
But what followed raised deeply troubling questions about the justice system, victims' rights and the legal restrictions that left her family believing they couldn't publicly share her name, her face or her story.
Now, her family is determined that Biddy will never be forgotten.
We're sharing this special trailer from WATCHING TWO DETECTIVES — SEASON 6: BIDDY, a new seven-part investigative series from Sarah Ferris Media.
Former NSW homicide detectives Peter Hogan and Scott Rogan sit down with Biddy's parents, loved ones, advocates and those who helped bring her story into the public eye.
This is not simply a story about a child's murder. It's about the life she lived, the people who loved her and one family's extraordinary fight to ensure that other victims and their families have a voice.
🎧 WANT TO HEAR THE FULL SERIES?
This is a special trailer only. The full series will be released exclusively through the WATCHING TWO DETECTIVES podcast feed — not this podcast.
⭐ 2 NOVEMBER 2026: All 7 episodes available early and ad-free for Patreon and Apple Podcasts subscribers.
🎧 9 NOVEMBER 2026: Episode 1 available free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen, with new episodes weekly.
Search for WATCHING TWO DETECTIVES and hit FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE now so you don't miss the series.
❤️ For early access and to support independent, victim-focused storytelling:
https://patreon.com/wtdpodcast
❤️ Follow the family's Justice for Biddy campaign on Facebook: @justice4biddyporter
Her name is Bridgette Porter. Her family calls her Biddy. And everybody deserves to know her story.
Watching Two Detectives — Media with Purpose. A Sarah Ferris Media production.
Content advisory: This series discusses the murder of a child, grief, trauma and the criminal justice system.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when a person disappears—and the world slowly stops looking?
In this episode of Stop the Killing, Katherine Schweit is joined by Aimee Baker and Vanessa Ciccarelli, hosts of the podcast She Goes by Jane, which centres the lives and stories of missing and unidentified women.
Aimee explains how her work began after she learned about an unidentified teenage girl found beside Interstate 10 outside Phoenix. Unable to comprehend how someone so young could remain nameless, she began researching missing-person cases and transforming that grief into poetry. Those poems eventually became her collection, Doe.
After reading the book, filmmaker and photographer Vanessa approached Aimee about creating a documentary. The result was She, narrated by Kate Mulgrew and featuring poetry read by Coco Jones and Raven Goodwin. Their work then grew into the podcast She Goes by Jane, allowing them to investigate more cases and spend meaningful time exploring who these women were—not simply what happened to them.
Katherine, Aimee and Vanessa discuss the staggering scale of the missing and unidentified persons crisis, why some cases receive far more attention than others, and how race, gender, sexuality, poverty and public perception can influence who is considered worthy of media coverage.
They also explore the importance of placing victims—not offenders—at the centre of true-crime storytelling. Aimee shares a powerful exercise she uses with college students: asking them to list the names of every serial killer they can remember, followed by the names of their victims. The difference is immediate and uncomfortable.
This conversation is ultimately about restoring humanity. Behind every statistic is a person with relationships, memories, dreams and people who may still be searching for them.
How one unidentified teenager inspired Aimee’s poetry collection Doe

The making of the documentary She

Why Aimee and Vanessa created the She Goes by Jane podcast

How quickly someone can disappear from their everyday life

The overwhelming number of missing and unidentified people

Why certain cases receive widespread coverage while others are ignored

The effect of race, gender, sexuality and social status on media attention

Remembering victims’ names rather than glorifying perpetrators

The responsibility of true-crime creators to preserve victims’ humanity

How individual stories reveal the scale of a much larger crisis

Listen to She Goes by Jane on all major podcast platforms.
To find the documentary She, search for Aimee Baker and the film title on Apple, Amazon and other streaming platforms.
Doe by Aimee Baker

Women Who Talk to the Dead by Katherine Schweit

For bonus episodes, early access and additional content, join us on Patreon:
Patreon.com/StopTheKilling
Subscribe to Stop the Killing wherever you listen to podcasts, and please consider rating and reviewing the show—it helps more listeners discover these important conversations.
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RESOURCES
Stop the Bleed training
FBI
RUN, HIDE, FIGHT
This is a CONmunity Podcast Production on the Killer Podcasts Network
Check out more:
CONMUNITY PODCAST
KLOOGHLESS - THE LONG CON
GUILTY GREENIE
THE BRAVERY ACADEMY
Watching Two Detectives


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