Aaron Stark was almost a school shooter. As a dark and destructive teen, Stark almost committed a terrible attack. Almost.

After watching the news coverage of the Parkland school shootings, Stark wrote an open letter “I was almost a school shooter,” which was circulated to many news stations, eventually gaining national attention and propelling Mr. Stark into a career of activism for violence prevention.

Mr. Stark brings his message to the African Association of Threat Assessment Professionals because the idea of “Giving Love to The Ones You Feel Desert It The Least, Because They Need It The Most” is a concept that transcends culture and geography. In his talk, Mr. Stark will discuss how he got to the point where he considered a school shooting and, more importantly, how he moved away from that state of mind. As a threat assessment professional, you’ll have the unique opportunity to hear a would-be attacker’s perspective and the prevention techniques that were unique to him to help divert him from the pathway to violence.

Mr. Stark has been featured on mainstream U.S. network news channels and his viral TEDxtalk “I Was Almost a School Shooter” has gained over 14 million views and is shown across educational platforms to help students gain a different viewpoint. Mr. Stark spreads his message to a wide audience net including school administrators, school resource officers, law enforcement, and any organization focused on violence prevention. Mr. Stark is working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to improve prevention techniques.