Stop the Killing

An important conversation for parents and teachers of children with special needs.

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.

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 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

Want early access to episodes, ad-free listening and additional bonus content?

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Katherine Schweit — Books and Resources:

https://katherineschweit.com/books/

Discover more podcasts from Sarah Ferris Media:

https://www.sarahferrismedia.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

Subscribe for early access, ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content.

🎙️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stopthekilling

🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stop-the-killing/id1585146489

Follow STOP THE KILLING:

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Katherine Schweit: https://www.katherineschweit.com

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.

Our other podcasts: https://sarahferrismedia.com/shows

CONmunity • Watching Two Detectives • Klooghless: The Long Con • The Bravery Academy • Guilty Greenie

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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.

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.

Join Sarah in London on 3–4 October 2026 for a weekend of ethical, victim-centred true crime.

CrimeCon UK brings together victims’ families, advocates, investigators, forensic experts and leading podcast creators—all committed to using storytelling to inform, empower and create meaningful change.

This year’s guests include Gabby Petito’s family and Claire Throssell MBE, who have transformed unimaginable personal loss into powerful advocacy for others.

Book tickets:
https://crimeconuk.seetickets.com/

Use code FERRIS at checkout for a discount.

Explore CrimeCon UK:
https://www.crimecon.co.uk/

See the guest-speaker line-up:
https://www.crimecon.co.uk/guest-speakersc57db5fa

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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Message us on instagram : 

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@stopthekillingstories

And for all things Katherine Schweit: www.katherineschweit.com

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 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the recent crossover between Stop the Killing and Watching Two Detectives, we’re sharing the opening episode of Watching Two Detectives’ award-winning first season.

If Tomorrow Never Comes tells the story of the random murder of 45-year-old Michael Furlong in Smithfield, New South Wales, on June 3, 2002.

Unlike Stop the Killing’s interview-led format, Watching Two Detectives builds an entire season around one case, allowing the detectives who investigated it and the family who lived through it to tell the story in their own words.

In this first episode, retired New South Wales detectives Peter Hogan and Scott Rogan are joined by retired Detective Inspector Clive Ainley, who led the original murder investigation.

Michael’s former wife and best friend, Colleen, and his son, Luke, introduce us to the man behind the case: a happy, endlessly sociable father, passionate Beatles fan, practical joker and natural inventor.

On the final day of his life, Michael visited an electronics store looking for parts for a device he hoped could prevent drivers from falling asleep at the wheel.

He was there because he wanted to save lives.

Instead, a completely ordinary afternoon became the beginning of one of the most callous and unusual murder investigations the detectives had encountered.

Michael and his brother were approached by a stranger who claimed to have damaged their car. Within moments, Michael had been fatally attacked and his brother was running for his life.

The detectives arrived to find a devastating crime scene, an eyewitness in shock and almost no obvious connection between Michael and the unknown attacker.

Somewhere beyond the police tape, a killer had disappeared into Sydney.

This episode explores the first hours of the investigation, the crushing task of telling Michael’s young sons that their father had been murdered and the last gift Michael gave Colleen: a CD containing the song If Tomorrow Never Comes.

This is the opening chapter of a five-part true-crime investigation told through the detectives who worked the case and the family who have carried its consequences ever since.

Listen to and follow Watching Two Detectives on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/watching-two-detectives/id1740792484

The remaining episodes of If Tomorrow Never Comes are waiting for you there, along with five complete seasons of victim-focused true crime, real police investigations and stories told by the people who lived them.

This episode contains descriptions of murder, violence and traumatic bereavement. Listener discretion is advised.

WANT THE VIDEOS HEAD TO YOUTUBE @sarahferrismedia 

And if you are wanting AD FREE | EARLY ACCESS | BONUS CONTENT 

HIT THE BANNER ON APPLE PODCASTS TO SUBSCRIBE

OR SUPPORT US: Patreon.com/stopthekilling 

Message us on instagram : 

@conmunitypodcast

@stopthekillingstories

And for all things Katherine Schweit including where you can purchase her book STOP THE KILLING: How to end the mass shooting crisis head to: www.katherineschweit.com

RESOURCES

Stop the Bleed training

FBI 

RUN, HIDE, FIGHT

This is a CONmunity Podcast Production on the Killer Podcasts Network

Check out more:

CONNING THE CON

KLOOGHLESS - THE LONG CON

GUILTY GREENIE

THE BRAVERY ACADEMY

Klooghless: The Long Con 

Watching Two Detectives 

Continue the full season

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the recent crossover between Stop the Killing and Watching Two Detectives, we’re sharing the opening episode of Watching Two Detectives’ award-winning first season.

If Tomorrow Never Comes tells the story of the random murder of 45-year-old Michael Furlong in Smithfield, New South Wales, on June 3, 2002.

Unlike Stop the Killing’s interview-led format, Watching Two Detectives builds an entire season around one case, allowing the detectives who investigated it and the family who lived through it to tell the story in their own words.

In this first episode, retired New South Wales detectives Peter Hogan and Scott Rogan are joined by retired Detective Inspector Clive Ainsley, who led the original murder investigation.

Michael’s former wife and best friend, Colleen, and his son, Luke, introduce us to the man behind the case: a happy, endlessly sociable father, passionate Beatles fan, practical joker and natural inventor.

On the final day of his life, Michael visited an electronics store looking for parts for a device he hoped could prevent drivers from falling asleep at the wheel.

He was there because he wanted to save lives.

Instead, a completely ordinary afternoon became the beginning of one of the most callous and unusual murder investigations the detectives had encountered.

Michael and his brother were approached by a stranger who claimed to have damaged their car. Within moments, Michael had been fatally attacked and his brother was running for his life.

The detectives arrived to find a devastating crime scene, an eyewitness in shock and almost no obvious connection between Michael and the unknown attacker.

Somewhere beyond the police tape, a killer had disappeared into Sydney.

This episode explores the first hours of the investigation, the crushing task of telling Michael’s young sons that their father had been murdered and the last gift Michael gave Colleen: a CD containing the song If Tomorrow Never Comes.

This is the opening chapter of a five-part true-crime investigation told through the detectives who worked the case and the family who have carried its consequences ever since.

Listen to and follow Watching Two Detectives on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/watching-two-detectives/id1740792484

The remaining episodes of If Tomorrow Never Comes are waiting for you there, along with five complete seasons of victim-focused true crime, real police investigations and stories told by the people who lived them.

This episode contains descriptions of murder, violence and traumatic bereavement. Listener discretion is advised.

WANT THE VIDEOS HEAD TO YOUTUBE @sarahferrismedia 

And if you are wanting AD FREE | EARLY ACCESS | BONUS CONTENT 

HIT THE BANNER ON APPLE PODCASTS TO SUBSCRIBE

OR SUPPORT US: Patreon.com/stopthekilling 

Message us on instagram : 

@conmunitypodcast

@stopthekillingstories

And for all things Katherine Schweit including where you can purchase her book STOP THE KILLING: How to end the mass shooting crisis head to: www.katherineschweit.com

RESOURCES

Stop the Bleed training

FBI 

RUN, HIDE, FIGHT

This is a CONmunity Podcast Production on the Killer Podcasts Network

Check out more:

CONNING THE CON

KLOOGHLESS - THE LONG CON

GUILTY GREENIE

THE BRAVERY ACADEMY

Klooghless: The Long Con 

Watching Two Detectives

Continue the full season

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the fifth and final episode of this special crossover between Stop the Killing and Watching Two Detectives, former head of the FBI’s Active Shooter Program Katherine Schweit joins retired New South Wales detectives Scott Rogan and Peter Hogan one last time.

The conversation begins with the information we still do not know about the Bondi Beach mass shooting — and why pending court proceedings, privacy laws and suppression orders can limit what is released to the public.

Katherine, Scott and Peter examine the growing pressure for instant answers after major crimes, the spread of conspiracy theories and the new challenge facing investigators: artificial intelligence making it increasingly difficult to know whether video, images and evidence shared online are real.

They also reflect on the extraordinary courage shown during the attack. Bondi lifesavers ran towards danger with first-aid kits while shots were still being fired. Ordinary people protected strangers, carried the injured and made decisions in seconds that may have saved lives.

But what about those who freeze?

Katherine explains why fight, flight and freeze are all normal human responses — and why nobody can truly know how they will react until they are placed in that situation. Her advice is clear: your first responsibility is to survive and return home to the people who love you.

The episode then turns to the personal mission behind both podcasts.

Katherine reflects on leaving the FBI but never leaving the work behind, and on how Stop the Killing restored some of her faith in humanity by creating a community of listeners who want answers, solutions and practical ways to make their communities safer.

Scott and Peter explore the emotional toll of law enforcement, the coping mechanisms officers develop and why bringing humanity back into these conversations matters.

This final episode also considers how victims should be spoken about. Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a life permanently changed.

This is the final chapter of the five-part Stop the Killing x Watching Two Detectives crossover — a series about the Bondi Beach mass shooting, police response, misinformation, courage, survival and prevention.

Because this is more than true crime.

It is a mission.

Over the next few weeks, both podcast feeds will continue the crossover. Watching Two Detectives will feature selected episodes from the more than 200 episodes of Stop the Killing, while Stop the Killing will share the first two episodes of the award-winning first season of Watching Two Detectives.

Follow both podcasts to hear more powerful, victim-focused stories and expert conversations designed to inform, challenge and help keep people safer.

WANT THE VIDEOS HEAD TO YOUTUBE @sarahferrismedia 

And if you are wanting AD FREE | EARLY ACCESS | BONUS CONTENT 

HIT THE BANNER ON APPLE PODCASTS TO SUBSCRIBE

OR SUPPORT US: Patreon.com/stopthekilling 

Message us on instagram : 

@conmunitypodcast

@stopthekillingstories

And for all things Katherine Schweit including where you can purchase her book STOP THE KILLING: How to end the mass shooting crisis head to: www.katherineschweit.com

RESOURCES

Stop the Bleed training

FBI 

RUN, HIDE, FIGHT

This is a CONmunity Podcast Production on the Killer Podcasts Network

Check out more:

CONNING THE CON

KLOOGHLESS - THE LONG CON

GUILTY GREENIE

THE BRAVERY ACADEMY

Klooghless: The Long Con 

Watching Two Detectives 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.