Nobody ever expects a mass shooting to happen to them, especially in a school.
But a world-renowned school safety expert says that's exactly what people must prepare for.

Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman is known around the country, to many people in schools and law enforcement.

So that's why on Monday, dozens of area teachers, administrators and law enforcement, came to the Union City High School to hear Grossman speak.

Grossman is a national school safety expert, and author.

“The truth is, violence is far more likely to harm our children,” said Grossman.

He spoke about safety in our schools, and what can be done right now, to ensure our schools are safer, “There are things we can do to keep those kids safe, it starts with locking the doors, and controlling who walks in the building, it starts with not ever saying those words, 'It'll never happen here,' because if you believe that, it paralyzes you at the moment of truth,” Grossman said.

But Grossman also says there are long-term solutions.
One of them he advocates for is a need to regulate violent video games, for children, “This obsession with these violent video games, they're fine for adults, but we've got to recognize the fact that they can be very harmful to children, and we've got to strictly enforce the rating system.”

Grossman says obsession with violent video games is a factor all U.S. school shooters had in common.

And he says other countries have recognized the danger they pose to children, “All of Europe, all of Canada, all of China, all of Japan, South Korea, rigidly regulates children's access to violent video games, and in turn have brought these juvenile mass murders to a screeching halt,” said Grossman.

Grossman isn't calling for an all out ban, but a national realization that violent video games can be harmful to children, and the ratings system needs to be strictly enforced.

After the Parkland, Florida School massacre, when a 19-year-old killed 17 students and teachers, Lt. Col. Grossman was part of the President's Roundtable at the White House, which focused on violent video games.

Lt. Col. Grossman has just released a new book, titled "Assassination Generation." The book talks a lot about video games and the psychology of killing.

Click here to learn more about Grossman's work.