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Stop the Killing

Stop the Killing

By: Evergreen Podcasts & Sarah Ferris Media
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Exploring the Darkest Corners of Violence Prevention and Survival: Join Katherine Schweit, former head of the FBI's Active Shooter Program, and award-winning true-crime producer Sarah Ferris in Stop the Killing, the true-crime podcast that doesn’t just document tragedy but empowers listeners with the tools to prevent it. This series masterfully blends deep dives into infamous mass shootings, high-stakes FBI cases, and real-world survivor stories with expert analysis and practical safety strategies. Schweit—who led the first government study on mass shootings after Sandy Hook—delivers powerful insights, while Ferris transforms each episode into a gripping, unforgettable journey. Together, they equip listeners to recognize warning signs, understand preventative strategies, and become "upstanders" in the face of violence. In Season 5, meet heroes, advocates, and experts whose stories demand action—from Parkland parents who turned grief into advocacy, to Chris Hansen of To Catch a Predator - each story a call to action in America's ongoing fight against gun violence. Stop the Killing isn’t just a podcast; it’s an indispensable guide to saving lives.509981 Social Sciences True Crime
Episodes
  • S6E14 Sandy Hook to Bondi: Guns, Suicide and the Women Who Talk to the Dead — Part Two

    S6E14 Sandy Hook to Bondi: Guns, Suicide and the Women Who Talk to the Dead — Part Two
    Jun 18 2026
    What happens when three experienced investigators from opposite sides of the world sit down to examine how police respond to an active shooter? In this special crossover between Stop the Killing and Watching Two Detectives, former FBI Special Agent Katherine Schweit joins retired New South Wales detectives Peter Hogan and Scott Rogan for an expert examination of the lessons that have reshaped mass-shooting prevention, preparation and police response. Katherine was working on national security and counterterrorism cases when the murder of 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School changed the direction of her career. Following the shooting, she was appointed to the White House team tasked with developing a coordinated national response to mass shootings and became the architect of the FBI’s Active Shooter Program. In Part One, Katherine explains how the devastating events at Sandy Hook helped accelerate a fundamental change in policing: moving away from the traditional strategy of “contain, negotiate and wait” towards the immediate deployment of officers to confront and stop an active threat. Peter and Scott reveal how those lessons travelled across the world and influenced Australian policing. They discuss the introduction of New South Wales Police’s Active Armed Offender training, the impact of the 2014 Lindt Café siege and the confronting reality of preparing ordinary frontline officers to run towards attackers armed with military-style weapons. Together, they explore: Why active-shooter incidents can be over within minutes The extraordinary risks faced by the first officers entering the scene Why an active shooter and a mass shooting are not always the same thing Why workplaces—not schools—account for many active-shooter attacks in the United States The challenges of negotiating with attackers driven by extremist or ideological motives Why warning signs must be recognised and reported before violence begins How information shared by one student helped prevent a planned school shooting Why measuring the attacks that never happened is so important Katherine also shares the remarkable story of the message that reminded her why Stop the Killing must continue: a school vice principal who credited the podcast with helping her team recognise the warning signs and prevent a planned attack. This conversation lays the groundwork for the next part of the series, when Katherine, Peter and Scott turn their attention to the December 14, 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack, examining the actions of the attackers, civilians and responding officers through their combined FBI and Australian policing experience. The attack targeted a Hanukkah celebration and killed 15 people. This is not simply a conversation about what happened. It is a conversation about what has been learned, what has changed—and what still needs to change to stop the next attack. Listen now to Part One of this special multi-part crossover. Stop the Killing on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/stop-the-killing/id1585146489 Watching Two Detectives on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/watching-two-detectives/id1740792484 Watching Two Detectives Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/wtd Stop the Killing Patreon:GUNS, SUICIDE AND THE WOMEN WHO TALK TO THE DEAD — PART TWO In Part Two of this special crossover between Stop the Killing and Watching Two Detectives, former FBI Special Agent Katherine Schweit continues her conversation with retired New South Wales detectives Peter Hogan and Scott Rogan. Before the team turns its attention to the Bondi Beach killings, they take a deeper look at the realities that sit behind conversations about firearms, mass violence and public safety. Katherine explains why she wrote Stop the Killing: A Simple Guide to the Second Amendment and why productive conversations about guns in the United States have become so difficult. With hundreds of millions of firearms already in circulation, she argues that prevention has to begin with the laws, risks and realities that currently exist—not the world people wish existed. The conversation also examines one of the most overlooked parts of America’s firearms crisis: suicide. Katherine explains that the majority of firearm deaths in the United States are self-inflicted, raising difficult questions about access to weapons during moments of crisis and how firearms can turn a temporary period of distress into an irreversible outcome. Peter, Scott and Katherine discuss: Why active-shooter attacks and other forms of mass violence are not directly comparable How the weapon used can dramatically change the number of casualties The difference between bolt-action, semi-automatic and automatic firearms Why Australia’s firearms restrictions mattered during the Bondi Beach attack How the elevated firing position at Bondi could have produced an even greater loss of life if different weapons had been available What the ...
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    26 mins
  • S6E13 SANDY HOOK TO BONDI: HOW MASS-SHOOTING TRAINING CHANGED POLICING — PART ONE

    S6E13 SANDY HOOK TO BONDI: HOW MASS-SHOOTING TRAINING CHANGED POLICING — PART ONE
    Jun 11 2026
    What happens when three experienced investigators from opposite sides of the world sit down to examine how police respond to an active shooter? In this special crossover between Stop the Killing and Watching Two Detectives, former FBI Special Agent Katherine Schweit joins retired New South Wales detectives Peter Hogan and Scott Rogan for an expert examination of the lessons that have reshaped mass-shooting prevention, preparation and police response. Katherine was working on national security and counterterrorism cases when the murder of 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School changed the direction of her career. Following the shooting, she was appointed to the White House team tasked with developing a coordinated national response to mass shootings and became the architect of the FBI’s Active Shooter Program. In Part One, Katherine explains how the devastating events at Sandy Hook helped accelerate a fundamental change in policing: moving away from the traditional strategy of “contain, negotiate and wait” towards the immediate deployment of officers to confront and stop an active threat. Peter and Scott reveal how those lessons travelled across the world and influenced Australian policing. They discuss the introduction of New South Wales Police’s Active Armed Offender training, the impact of the 2014 Lindt Café siege and the confronting reality of preparing ordinary frontline officers to run towards attackers armed with military-style weapons. Together, they explore: Why active-shooter incidents can be over within minutes The extraordinary risks faced by the first officers entering the scene Why an active shooter and a mass shooting are not always the same thing Why workplaces—not schools—account for many active-shooter attacks in the United States The challenges of negotiating with attackers driven by extremist or ideological motives Why warning signs must be recognised and reported before violence begins How information shared by one student helped prevent a planned school shooting Why measuring the attacks that never happened is so important Katherine also shares the remarkable story of the message that reminded her why Stop the Killing must continue: a school vice principal who credited the podcast with helping her team recognise the warning signs and prevent a planned attack. This conversation lays the groundwork for the next part of the series, when Katherine, Peter and Scott turn their attention to the December 14, 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack, examining the actions of the attackers, civilians and responding officers through their combined FBI and Australian policing experience. The attack targeted a Hanukkah celebration and killed 15 people. This is not simply a conversation about what happened. It is a conversation about what has been learned, what has changed—and what still needs to change to stop the next attack. Listen now to Part One of this special multi-part crossover. Stop the Killing on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/stop-the-killing/id1585146489 Watching Two Detectives on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/watching-two-detectives/id1740792484 Watching Two Detectives Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/wtd Stop the Killing Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/stopthekilling Please follow both podcasts and leave a five-star review wherever you listen. Your support helps us continue producing independent investigations, sharing the experiences of survivors and law-enforcement professionals, and creating conversations that may genuinely help save lives. Join us for Part Two, when the experts begin their examination of the Bondi Beach attack. This episode contains discussions of mass shootings, terrorism, child victims and traumatic events. Listener discretion is advised. This is a Sarah Ferris Media on the Killer Podcasts Network Check out more Sarah Ferris Media productions: CONNING THE CON KLOOGHLESS - THE LONG CON GUILTY GREENIE THE BRAVERY ACADEMY LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 mins
  • S6B8 When a Six-Year-Old Shoots: The Richneck Case and the Question of Accountability

    S6B8 When a Six-Year-Old Shoots: The Richneck Case and the Question of Accountability
    May 25 2026
    In this Stop the Killing update, Katherine Schweit revisits the Richneck Elementary School shooting in Newport News, Virginia — the case where a six-year-old student shot his teacher, Abigail Zwerner, in January 2023. This episode focuses on the latest legal development: the dismissal of criminal charges against former assistant principal Ebony Parker, who had been accused of felony child abuse and endangerment after warnings were allegedly raised before the shooting. Katherine explains what happened in court, why the judge dismissed the charges, and why this case continues to raise difficult questions about school shooting prevention, gun safety, child access to firearms, school accountability, and legal responsibility. When a six-year-old cannot be held criminally responsible, who can be? The parent? The school? The administrator? The system? For more detail on the original incident, listen to our earlier episode:Richneck Elementary School – Stop the Killinghttps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/richneck-elementary-school/id1585146489?i=1000610558667 You can also listen to our follow-up episode on the case here:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/stop-the-killing/id1585146489?i=1000621142440 In this episode:Katherine discusses the Richneck Elementary shooting, the criminal case against Ebony Parker, the role of school warnings, the mother’s conviction for child neglect, and the broader accountability crisis surrounding children, firearms, and school safety. Keywords: Richneck Elementary School shooting, Newport News school shooting, Abigail Zwerner, six-year-old shooter, Ebony Parker, school shooting prevention, gun safety, child access to guns, school accountability, Stop the Killing podcast, Katherine Schweit. SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS, SUPPORTS THE PODCAST CRIMECON UK TICKETS HERE CRIMECON US TICKETS HERE DON’T forget to use DISCOUNT CODE “FERRIS” RESOURCES Stop the Bleed training FBI RUN, HIDE, FIGHT This is a Sarah Ferris Media on the Killer Podcasts Network Check out more Sarah Ferris Media productions: CONNING THE CON KLOOGHLESS - THE LONG CON GUILTY GREENIE THE BRAVERY ACADEMY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    12 mins
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