Friends of Safe Schools U.S.A
2025 School Safety Symposium
Hollywood Casino Hotel | Hyatt Place Pittsburgh South
December 8 & 9, 2025
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Featuring:
Detective Michael Colazzo will present "The Covenant School Tragedy: The Nashville Mass Shooting Event from the Officer’s Perspective"
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On the morning of March 27, 2023, a 28-year-old woman arrived at The Covenant School in Nashville, on the campus of Covenant Presbyterian Church, to carry out a calculated plan to commit mass murder. The woman was heavily armed with three guns, two of them assault-type weapons, and she shot her way through glass doors into the building. She immediately shot and killed a custodian before going to an upper level of the school where she shot and killed three nine-year-old students, the principal, and a substitute teacher.
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Detective Michael Collazo was the first officer on scene, arriving at 10:20 a.m. Armed only with a pistol, he entered the building through the glass doors that the killer had shot out. Shortly thereafter more officers arrived on the scene. Collazo joined the other officers, forming a cohesive team that immediately began clearing classrooms in search of the shooter. As the officers methodically cleared rooms, they heard shots coming from the second floor and immediately rushed toward the sounds of gunfire. The shooter was standing at a set of large windows and had opened fire on police officers who were arriving on the campus. During the encounter, Detective Collazo and another officer engaged the shooter, firing four rounds each.
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The shooter was deceased 12 minutes after the first 911 call was received. She had fired a total of 152 rounds from her weapons. This tragedy would have been much worse if not for the heroic actions of Detective Collazo and the other officers. Detective Michael Collazo received the Police Officer of the Year award in 2024 from the International Association of Chiefs of Police. You will hear about the events leading up to the incident, the tense moments on scene trying to locate the killer, and best practices and lessons learned from the officer’s perspective.
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OTHER PRESENTATION AND BREAKOUT SESSION TOPICS INCLUDE: Targeted Violence Threat Assessment and Management Practices| Communicating During a Crisis | Swatting Incidents | Coordination of Physical and Cybersecurity Surveillance Tools using AI | Managing Special Needs Populations During Emergencies | Establishing a School-Based Court Diversion Program | Proactive School Safety and Prevention Methods | Security and Risk Management Tools, Resources, Training Opportunities, and more…
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Breakfast and lunch included both days with additional evening networking opportunities
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Who should attend? School security personnel (SROs, SPOs, & SSOs), law enforcement, school administrators, safety and security coordinators, teachers and other school personnel, adult and juvenile probation officers, parents, pastors/clergy, counselors, coaches, community-based program staff and volunteers, etc.
Special Hollywood Casino Hotel/Hyatt Place Pittsburgh South room rates for those attending the event (724) 222-7777.
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