The police department that patrols Reston drew 237 law enforcement professionals from 74 agencies across the country to its third annual Threat Assessment and Management Symposium on Aug. 3-4, a 40% jump in registration over the previous year.

The two-day event, organized by Fairfax County Police Department's TAM unit within the Organized Crime and Intelligence Bureau, focused on preventing targeted violence. Speakers ranged from a U.S. Marshals Service director to a Sandy Hook parent to local detectives presenting active case studies.

One session hit close to home: FCPD Detective Isa Martin walked attendees through a case study involving a potential threat against a place of worship, according to the department's announcement. The department did not specify the jurisdiction or outcome of that case.

U.S. Marshals Service Director Gaydeces Serralta opened the second day with remarks on the importance of threat investigations. L.A. County psychologist Nicolas Beliz presented on copycat culture and its connection to mass violence, and Arlington County Police Detective Ian Campbell addressed nihilistic violence extremism.

Scarlett Lewis, whose six-year-old son Jesse was killed in the Dec. 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, shared her perspective on violence prevention. She later founded the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement.

Captain Travis Tate, assistant commander of FCPD's Threats and Intelligence Division, said in the department's announcement that the symposium was established in 2024 "to bring professionals and disciplines together to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships and advance our collective efforts to prevent targeted violence."

The TAM unit investigates and mitigates threats of mass violence, defined as threats targeting two or more people, according to the county's police bureau page.