TAMPA -- In the ongoing debate over how to prevent school shootings like the deadly Feb. 14 rampage at Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, there are a lot of different ideas.
But what about technology?
Smartphone apps are giving students, parents, and teachers a new way to report rumors or threats anonymously that could potentially escalate into violence.
'Say Something'
'Say Something' is the product of a project created through the non-profit Sandy Hook Promise. The app allows people to submit anonymous tops which are monitored by local police.
Seven school districts nationwide currently use 'Say Something,' including Miami-Dade, according to a company spokesperson. Schools in Pinellas County are also utilizing the technology.
The company is in the process of getting another 23 cities and districts on board.
'Safe 2 Tell'
'Safe 2 Tell' is another anonymous tip reporting app which is currently used in Colorado schools.
The program, with origins that can be traced back to 1999 and the Columbine massacre, is run through the Colorado Attorney General’s Office with calls going directly to the Colorado State Patrol, according to CBS Denver.
More than 150 tips of planned school attacks were reported through the app in the days immediately following the Parkland shooting.
'PikMyKid'
Pat Bhava, CEO and founder of PikMyKid, a Tampa-based startup originally designed to help parents and teachers track students during and after pickup times, says the focus of the app is now turning to preventative school safety.
A new 'panic button' feature is designed to keep students safe during emergencies like an active shooter. When activated, a GPS location of the device is sent to 911 and the phone's mic is activated to allow for easy communication with a dispatcher, according to Bhava.
Soon, the app will also include a function to automatically monitor social media for anything suspicious.
"What we are doing with that is we are analyzing open-sourced social feeds available within a geo-fence of a particular school," Bhava told 10News.
"If you come up with credible conversations which need to be monitored by the school administrators so they can get a pulse of what's going on—maybe they lost a game yesterday, tomorrow's there talk about the football team doing something or maybe something more sinister."
Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old accused of killing 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School purportedly posted a comment to a YouTube video saying he wanted to "be a professional school shooter" before the Feb. 14 shooting.
Bhava says the technology is being used in more than 100 schools across two dozen states.
Fla. students working on solution
Several Parkland students appear to be working on an app as well.
Stoneman Douglas junior class president Jaclyn Corin tweeted Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is working with several students on an app that would "be monitored 24/7 by law enforcement."
“It might be a small step, but we are moving in the right direction,” Corin also tweeted.
“Apps like this have been successful in other states, as utilizing social media to prevent gun violence/suicide/other threats is incredibly beneficial for this generation.”
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