Having said that though, we must be responsible for the tone and degree of our coverage. The fact is, we shouldn't be surprised when after all the coverage a school shooting receives, there are going to be second or third incidents. Still, one expert stressed the media must be careful not to portray the shooter as a hero or celebrity. But the media has to be careful not to glorify the shooter and cover the event in a sad, serious way. Despite increased coverage of school shootings over the past few years, a report by the Justice Department last year said juvenile crime was at its lowest point in 34 years and that violent deaths in school had dropped 40 percent from the previous year.
Experts also point to another reason for the rash of school violence arrests over the past two days.
They say it could be a reflection of heightened awareness on the parts of law enforcement, students and teachers. Williams' friends and associates admitted they felt partly to blame because they did not report his alleged threats to police. Most of the arrests made after the Santana shooting came following tips from students and teachers who had overheard talk or plans of an attack. In the alleged bomb threat in San Bernardino, authorities say the two suspects' classmates at Woodcrest Junior High School reported the plot to the principal. In the Twentynine Palms case, authorities said a classmate reported them after hearing about the Santana shooting.