When an attempted school shooting is resolved without violence, there is much that we can learn by studying the incident.  In the fifth episode of Paul Timm’s podcast – The Changing Face of School Security, he talks with Molly Hudgens about her experience at Sycamore Middle School:

S1 Ep. 5 90 Minutes, No Lives Lost: Molly Hudgens’ Story

September 28, 2016, started as a typical school day for Molly Hudgens, a guidance counselor at Sycamore Middle School. That is, until an eighth-grade student approached her office with a fully loaded handgun and a plan to harm people on campus.

After 90 minutes that felt like hours, Molly was able to disarm the student, but struggled to communicate with the School Resource Officer or call for help. Her careful actions and thoughtful communication tactics ultimately aided her that day, preventing a potentially tragic event from happening.

In this episode of The Changing Face of School Security, Molly joined host Paul Timm to discuss:

  • Her firsthand experience preventing the Sycamore Middle School shooting
  • The importance of communication and School Resource Officers
  • How to support students beyond the classroom and into adulthood

Click here to listen to this episode of the podcast.

Who is Molly Hudgens?

Molly Hudgens is a guidance counselor at Sycamore Middle School and author of Saving Sycamore. She is recognized for her bravery while preventing a school shooting.

Meet the host:

Paul Timm, Director of Education Safety for Allegion, is a board-certified Physical Security Professional (PSP), author of School Security: How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program, and a nationally acclaimed expert in physical security. He is also a member of PASS, CSC, ASIS International’s School Safety & Security Council and IASBO (Illinois Association of School Business Officials) Risk Management Committee.  Since 1999, Paul has conducted physical security assessments and provided technical assistance for clients nationwide and in Canada.

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