Lee County installing threat assessment teams for upcoming school year

Lee schools are creating teams devoted to seeking out security threats in the upcoming school year.

When your child walks through the doors at school, you put their safety in the hands of others.

Thanks to a new Florida law, schools are required to install “threat assessment groups.”

In 81 percent of school attacks, someone knew that the attacker was planning something.

Just months ago, identifying a risk and taking action prevented what could have been another tragedy.

Just minutes into the day at South Fort Myers High School, a teacher noticed something strange about one of her ninth-grade students.

They found a loaded gun in his backpack.

His mom, Lakesha Robinson, went straight to Facebook.

“Ain’t nobody got hurt today, ain’t nobody die today, that’s all that matter,” Robinson said in a live video.

A “threat assessment team” will be made up of teachers, coaches, guidance counselors and school resource officers. This team will focus on identifying threats and stopping attacks.

“It is what has been missing on a national level,” said former FBI Agent, Robert Foley.

Foley says the new set of guidelines from the Secret Service is the first time there has been an organized approach to prevention.

“This assessment gives school administrators red flags to pay attention to that would otherwise go unnoticed,” said Foley.

Lee School District has created an app where the community can send in tips to their designated assessment teams.

Once a tip is sent, the team will immediately interview the student, friends, parents and even neighbors as well as check social media.

If a student makes a serious threat, the team will involve law enforcement.

Lee, Charlotte and Collier schools will use these new Secret Service guidelines in forming their threat assessment teams.

Parents and guardians will informed about them in the mail or online.