Parents for Peace recently participated in the inaugural 2025 Texas Targeted Violence Prevention and Behavioral Threat Management Conference, hosted by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) from January 13-15, 2025, in San Antonio. This landmark event brought together over 350 stakeholders from across the nation to address the critical issues of targeted violence and terrorism prevention
The three-day conference at the Hilton Palacio del Rio featured a wide range of experts and attendees, including law enforcement personnel, mental health professionals, tribal leaders, and legal experts. Parents for Peace was proud to present alongside other notable institutions such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, Texas Education Agency, and Texas School Safety Center.
We were inspired by impactful presentations by two survivors of gun violence, including Missy Dodds, a teacher and survivor of 2005’s Red Lake school shooting, and Kristina Anderson, a survivor of 2007’s shooting on Virginia Tech’s campus. Their powerful testimonies set the tone for the event, and we were proud to follow with two presentations of our own, highlighting our organization’s work and our belief in proactively addressing the threat of extremism.
First, our intervention specialist Mubin Shaikh explored the influence of online communities on targeted violence and terrorism. For Mubin, the issues are personal: during his own experience with radicalization, Mubin left Canada to enlist with militant organizations like the Taliban in the ‘90s. But after leaving jihadism behind, Mubin has since served as a counterterrorism operative for the Canadian Security Intelligence Services. Now, he works with Parents for Peace to disengage others involved with violent extremist movements. His presentation delved into the behaviors and indicators often displayed by individuals undergoing online radicalization.
Later in the day, Myrieme Nadri-Churchill, P4P’s Executive Director, and Kevin Lambert, our Director of Programs, led a session focusing on youth-specific issues related to targeted violence. At P4P, we work directly with youth whose first exposure to extremist hate comes from the internet—through online chatrooms and propaganda videos. Myrieme and Kevin leveraged their shared clinic experience to discuss how extremist groups have pivoted to using online recruitment tactics to target young people. And they highlighted how law enforcement officials could available resources to support at-risk youth.
Building a Safer Future
Parents for Peace extends our gratitude to Major Sharon Jones and Kimberly Jones for organizing this impactful event. We also acknowledge our partners at the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) for their crucial role in making prevention possible. The conference covered a wide range of topics, including pre-attack indicators, threat assessment and management, crisis intervention techniques, and community-based initiatives to redirect individuals from pathways to violence.
We’re leaving San Antonio refreshed and reinvigorated in our fight to help disengage people from extremism. We are honored to have contributed our expertise to this vital dialogue, and we look forward to continuing our work in building a safer future for all of our communities.
