The tragic events of April 20, 1999, forever altered the landscape of our schools. Two students meticulously planned and executed a devastating attack, resulting in the deaths of twelve students and one teacher. This horrific act took place in a school that was previously seen as a safe haven, located in the quiet suburb of Columbine in Denver, Colorado.

The impact of the Columbine school attack reverberated across the nation and the world, leaving schools, educators, students, parents, and law enforcement in a state of shock. The perception of schools as safe spaces was shattered, leading to a significant shift in how we approach school safety and security, a challenge that continues to this day.

One of the changes involved a deeper federal government involvement in school safety. Congress enacted numerous laws to address this new school threat, designating schools as part of the nation's critical infrastructure in 2011. In January 2013, Congress passed a significant law known as the Investigate Assistance for Violent Crimes Act, which authorized the federal government, at the request of state law enforcement officials, to assign various government agencies to "assist in the investigation of violent acts and shootings occurring in a place of public use and in the investigation of mass killings and attempted mass killings," including schools.