Letter to Denver Post: We can take steps to prevent mass shootings by Brette Steele

The anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting is not just a day of remembrance—it is a call to action.

Decades later, survivors still carry the weight of that day, and too many others have since joined them in grief. We owe them more than our thoughts and prayers.

For me, it is personal. I was a junior in high school when the attack occurred. It shaped my life’s trajectory. Today, I serve as the President of Eradicate Hate, an organization founded by the survivors of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. Our mission is urgent: to convene those with expertise and lived experience to forge solutions to prevent hate-fueled violence.

Prevention is possible. Research shows 75% of perpetrators exhibit concerning behavior or communications before an attack. In 81% of school shooting cases, at least one person was aware of the  attack in advance and in 93% of these cases, that person was a peer. Students often see what adults miss.

That is the insight behind our UP End Hate initiative, which equips students with tools they need to recognize warning signs and feel safe and empowered to speak up. During the pilot program, two students reported weapons on campus, demonstrating the program’s lifesaving potential.

Columbine inspired a generation of school‑based violence. We know how to prevent it; success now depends on collective action and widespread adoption of proven tools.

Together, we can work to prevent the next act of hate-fueled violence before it occurs.

To learn more, visit upendhate.org. 

This letter to the editor was published on the Denver Post on April 16, 2026.