(KLZA)-- The FBI has launched a Prevent Mass Violence Campaign.

FBI Omaha and the FBI- Behavioral Analysis Unit are urging people to take notice when their friends, family, classmates, and coworkers show disturbing signs they may be on a “pathway to violence.”

Drawing on years of research on targeted violence and mass shooters—to include the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022 in which 19 elementary school students and two teachers were killed—the FBI unit best known for its “profilers” is asking people to confide in someone they trust or respect when they see behaviors they think are concerning. Too often, the signs are ignored or dismissed because they are not recognized as potentially dangerous, or observers will directly confront the person they are concerned about, believing that alone will be enough to defuse concerning behaviors.

Parents and family, loved ones and friends are most likely to observe concerning behaviors. The FBI says in the release that mass shooters don’t snap. They spend time planning and preparing for their attacks, which offers opportunities for intervention and prevention.

The FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit has launched a Prevent Mass Violence campaign that includes a new webpage and brochures containing tips and strategies to help potential bystanders understand what types of behaviors may be concerning and ways to respond. The webpage sayd says, “The most important thing is to tell someone.” That may not necessarily mean law enforcement; it could be a school administrator, employee assistance peer, a boss, or someone else you trust.

According to BAU, some concerning behaviors may include: ▪ Comments, jokes, or threats about violent plans ▪ Repeated or detailed fantasies about violence ▪ Comments about hurting themselves or others ▪ Creating a document, video, suicide note, or other item to explain or claim credit for future violence ▪ Seeing violence as a way to solve their problems ▪ Unusual difficulty coping with stress ▪ Increasing isolation from family, friends, or others ▪ Angry outbursts or physical aggression ▪ Obsessive interest in prior attackers or attacks ▪ Changing vocabulary, style of speech, or how they act in a way that reflects a hardened point of view or new sense of purpose associated with violent extremist causes.

For a more comprehensive list of concerning behaviors, to include brochures—along with resources and research about targeted violence—please visit the new webpage at www.fbi.gov/prevent. The webpage and all the supporting information are provided to encourage the public to be the key to preventing violence by talking to someone you trust.