S1 Ep. 5 90 Minutes, No Lives Lost: Molly Hudgens’ Story

Published September 2023

September 28, 2016, started as a typical school day for Molly Hudgens, a guidance counselor at Sycamore Middle School. That is, until an eighth-grade student approached her office with a fully loaded handgun and a plan to harm people on campus. 

After 90 minutes that felt like hours, Molly was able to disarm the student, but struggled to communicate with the School Resource Officer or call for help. Her careful actions and thoughtful communication tactics ultimately aided her that day, preventing a potentially tragic event from happening. 

In this episode of The Changing Face of School Security, Molly joined host Paul Timm to discuss: 

• Her firsthand experience preventing the Sycamore Middle School shooting 
  
• The importance of communication and School Resource Officers 
  
• How to support students beyond the classroom and into adulthood 
  

Who is Molly Hudgens?

Molly Hudgens is a guidance counselor at Sycamore Middle School and author of Saving Sycamore. She is recognized for her bravery while preventing a school shooting. 

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