193:
167:
when he changed his mind. His friend, Mike Stacey, who was unaware of Stark's plans, had invited Stark in for a shower and some food, after Stark had visited him with the intent of saying goodbye. He ended up staying for five days at Stacey's house. Stark credits this incident, and his inability to
114:
during his childhood. Due to his family being constantly on the run from law enforcement, Stark never attended the same school for more than six months, and he went to 40 different schools. According to himself, he was obese, awkward, dirty (because his home lacked running water), and bullied at
159:
to obtain a gun from his family's drug dealer. According to him, his primary motive was to make his parents feel shame for creating him, and not out of a specific hatred of anyone in the school or mall.
577:
251:
127:
mother to the meeting, who accused him of fabricating his mental health issues. Reportedly, his mother had told him after the meeting that she would buy him sharper
413:
743:
171:
Months after the incident, Stark was on the verge of suicide again, but was dissuaded after his friend Amber
Schneider invited him to a movie and baked him a
106:
towards him, his brother, and his mother, while his stepfather and mother struggled with substance abuse. According to Stark, he had seen his mother being
693:
140:
606:
821:
634:
769:
492:
352:
382:
152:
50:
135:. According to Stark, after he had sought mental help a second time, his psychologist told him that nothing could be done and refused him
551:
727:
826:
816:
204:
Stark lives in Denver, Colorado, is married, has four children, and maintains friendships with both
Schneider and Stacey.
520:
811:
78:(born 1979) is an American mental health advocate who is best known for planning but not following through with a
464:
123:, and resorting to sleeping in his friend's shed, he sought mental help. Social services allegedly brought his
120:
660:
307:"Abuse Pushed Him To Make Violent Plans. Without Knowing, His Friends' Simple Acts Of Love Pulled Him Back"
806:
107:
801:
155:
or the food court of a nearby mall and to then commit suicide afterwards. Stark had planned to trade
578:"Help Wanted: School counselors prevent violence, so why aren't there more on U.S., Texas campuses?"
306:
119:
at the age of 14 or 15. After being kicked out of his house at the age of 15 or 16 and becoming
723:
668:
421:
212:
103:
770:"Colorado father writes open letter after Parkland massacre: 'I was almost a school shooter'"
216:
124:
99:
98:. According to Stark, he had grown up in a dysfunctional family: his biological father, a
207:
Stark went public about his former plans to commit a mass shooting via an open letter to
136:
795:
172:
79:
608:
Video: Man who said he was 'almost a school shooter' reveals what stopped him | CNN
128:
252:"Almost a school shooter: How one man turned his pain into a way to help others"
220:
164:
196:
672:
425:
414:"Perspective | I would have been a school shooter if I could've gotten a gun"
208:
116:
156:
95:
224:
132:
521:"The Almost-Mass Shooter: Man Reflects On Stepping Away From The Edge"
383:"Man says he was almost a school shooter, reflects on Uvalde tragedy"
168:
obtain weapons, with stopping him from committing the mass shooting.
91:
694:"Man who says he could have been 'school shooter' tells his story"
552:"Dieser Mann erzählt, warum er fast einen Amoklauf verübt hätte"
111:
151:
In 1996, while homeless, Stark began planning to attack either
744:"'I almost became a school shooter - this is what stopped me'"
493:"'Just Another Tuesday': Film About an Almost School Shooter"
635:"'I Was Almost a School Shooter': Man Pens Heartfelt Letter"
491:
Gregorio-Nieto, Brenda; Freeman, Danny (November 23, 2019).
720:
The
Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic
466:
I was almost a school shooter | Aaron Stark | TEDxBoulder
61:
Mental health advocacy, nearly committing a mass shooting
661:"What Are the Real Warning Signs of a Mass Shooting?"
353:"He was Almost a School Shooter. What Stopped Him?"
185:
65:
57:
46:
38:
30:
23:
346:
344:
342:
340:
338:
336:
334:
332:
330:
328:
377:
375:
373:
8:
131:if he planned to slit his wrists to commit
16:American mental health advocate (born 1979)
718:Peterson, Jillian; Densley, James (2021).
20:
546:
544:
542:
486:
484:
482:
163:Stark was days away from committing the
629:
627:
625:
515:
513:
301:
299:
297:
295:
293:
236:
601:
599:
458:
456:
454:
452:
450:
448:
446:
444:
442:
408:
406:
404:
291:
289:
287:
285:
283:
281:
279:
277:
275:
273:
246:
244:
242:
240:
219:conference speech Stark made has gone
182:
211:in Denver in 2018, one day after the
90:Stark spent most of his childhood in
7:
14:
659:Dewan, Shaila (August 22, 2022).
223:, with over 15 million views on
191:
147:Planned shooting and dissuasion
53:(dropped out in sophomore year)
822:American gun control activists
463:Stark, Aaron (June 26, 2018),
1:
143:of high school at age 17.
34:1979 (age 44–45)
843:
558:(in German). July 24, 2018
190:
197:Stark's 2018 TEDx speech
827:Activists from Colorado
817:Mental health activists
387:Denver 7 Colorado News
357:Amanpour & Company
527:. September 13, 2022
776:. February 20, 2018
750:. February 22, 2018
258:. November 26, 2019
227:as of March 2024.
173:blueberry-peach pie
104:abusive and violent
812:People from Denver
665:The New York Times
584:. October 24, 2018
175:for his birthday.
213:Parkland shooting
202:
201:
153:North High School
115:school. He began
73:
72:
51:North High School
834:
786:
785:
783:
781:
766:
760:
759:
757:
755:
740:
734:
733:
722:. Abrams Press.
715:
709:
708:
706:
704:
690:
684:
683:
681:
679:
656:
650:
649:
647:
645:
631:
620:
619:
618:
616:
603:
594:
593:
591:
589:
574:
568:
567:
565:
563:
548:
537:
536:
534:
532:
517:
508:
507:
505:
503:
488:
477:
476:
475:
473:
460:
437:
436:
434:
432:
410:
399:
398:
396:
394:
379:
368:
367:
365:
363:
348:
323:
322:
320:
318:
313:. April 23, 2019
303:
268:
267:
265:
263:
248:
195:
194:
183:
21:
842:
841:
837:
836:
835:
833:
832:
831:
792:
791:
790:
789:
779:
777:
768:
767:
763:
753:
751:
748:The Independent
742:
741:
737:
730:
717:
716:
712:
702:
700:
692:
691:
687:
677:
675:
658:
657:
653:
643:
641:
633:
632:
623:
614:
612:
605:
604:
597:
587:
585:
576:
575:
571:
561:
559:
550:
549:
540:
530:
528:
519:
518:
511:
501:
499:
497:NBC 7 San Diego
490:
489:
480:
471:
469:
462:
461:
440:
430:
428:
418:Washington Post
412:
411:
402:
392:
390:
381:
380:
371:
361:
359:
351:Chiang, Casey.
350:
349:
326:
316:
314:
305:
304:
271:
261:
259:
250:
249:
238:
233:
192:
186:External videos
181:
149:
117:cutting himself
100:Vietnam veteran
88:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
840:
838:
830:
829:
824:
819:
814:
809:
804:
794:
793:
788:
787:
761:
735:
728:
710:
685:
651:
621:
611:, July 9, 2022
595:
569:
538:
509:
478:
438:
400:
389:. May 31, 2022
369:
324:
269:
235:
234:
232:
229:
200:
199:
188:
187:
180:
177:
148:
145:
137:inpatient care
87:
84:
71:
70:
67:
63:
62:
59:
58:Known for
55:
54:
48:
44:
43:
40:
36:
35:
32:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
839:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
813:
810:
808:
807:Living people
805:
803:
800:
799:
797:
775:
771:
765:
762:
749:
745:
739:
736:
731:
729:9781647002275
725:
721:
714:
711:
699:
695:
689:
686:
674:
670:
666:
662:
655:
652:
640:
636:
630:
628:
626:
622:
610:
609:
602:
600:
596:
583:
579:
573:
570:
557:
553:
547:
545:
543:
539:
526:
522:
516:
514:
510:
498:
494:
487:
485:
483:
479:
468:
467:
459:
457:
455:
453:
451:
449:
447:
445:
443:
439:
427:
423:
419:
415:
409:
407:
405:
401:
388:
384:
378:
376:
374:
370:
358:
354:
347:
345:
343:
341:
339:
337:
335:
333:
331:
329:
325:
312:
308:
302:
300:
298:
296:
294:
292:
290:
288:
286:
284:
282:
280:
278:
276:
274:
270:
257:
253:
247:
245:
243:
241:
237:
230:
228:
226:
222:
218:
214:
210:
205:
198:
189:
184:
179:Personal life
178:
176:
174:
169:
166:
161:
158:
154:
146:
144:
142:
138:
134:
130:
126:
122:
118:
113:
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
85:
83:
81:
80:mass shooting
77:
68:
64:
60:
56:
52:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
22:
19:
778:. Retrieved
773:
764:
752:. Retrieved
747:
738:
719:
713:
701:. Retrieved
697:
688:
676:. Retrieved
664:
654:
642:. Retrieved
638:
613:, retrieved
607:
588:December 13,
586:. Retrieved
581:
572:
562:December 10,
560:. Retrieved
556:www.vice.com
555:
529:. Retrieved
524:
502:December 13,
500:. Retrieved
496:
470:, retrieved
465:
429:. Retrieved
417:
391:. Retrieved
386:
360:. Retrieved
356:
315:. Retrieved
311:www.wbur.org
310:
260:. Retrieved
255:
206:
203:
170:
162:
150:
129:razor blades
89:
75:
74:
18:
802:1979 births
780:December 7,
754:December 7,
703:December 7,
678:December 7,
644:December 6,
615:December 6,
531:December 6,
472:December 6,
431:December 6,
393:December 6,
362:December 6,
317:December 6,
262:December 6,
165:mass murder
141:dropped out
76:Aaron Stark
39:Nationality
25:Aaron Stark
796:Categories
231:References
86:Early life
698:MSNBC.com
673:0362-4331
426:0190-8286
82:in 1996.
47:Education
774:NBC News
582:wfaa.com
256:cbs8.com
157:cannabis
121:homeless
96:Colorado
66:Children
42:American
225:YouTube
133:suicide
125:abusive
726:
671:
424:
108:beaten
102:, was
92:Denver
525:Newsy
221:viral
209:9News
139:. He
112:raped
782:2022
756:2022
724:ISBN
705:2022
680:2022
669:ISSN
646:2022
639:Time
617:2022
590:2022
564:2022
533:2022
504:2022
474:2022
433:2022
422:ISSN
395:2022
364:2022
319:2022
264:2022
217:TEDx
215:. A
110:and
31:Born
798::
772:.
746:.
696:.
667:.
663:.
637:.
624:^
598:^
580:.
554:.
541:^
523:.
512:^
495:.
481:^
441:^
420:.
416:.
403:^
385:.
372:^
355:.
327:^
309:.
272:^
254:.
239:^
94:,
784:.
758:.
732:.
707:.
682:.
648:.
592:.
566:.
535:.
506:.
435:.
397:.
366:.
321:.
266:.
69:4
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.