Having the courage to ‘say something’

The “See something, say something” exhortation, now the subject of jokes, approaches the nearmeaningless realm of “Just say no” and “Have a nice day.”

But there is still power in “See something, say something,” when used properly.

A mass shooting may have been averted, authorities said, when an aunt heeded the advice and called police and the FBI after she became suspicious of her nephew’s proclivity toward violence, guns and massive ammunition.

We thank Melissa Potter for what must have been an emotionally difficult decision to report 22yearold Brandon Wagshol of Norwalk. Her concern ultimately led to Norwalk police arresting Wagshol on Aug. 15 and charging him with four counts of illegal purchase of a highcapacity magazine.

Days after the deadly shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, Wagshol called his aunt, whom he had never called before, and asked a favor. He wanted to use Potter’s New Hampshire address to ship an order of highcapacity magazines for an AR15 he was building. Such magazines have been illegal in Connecticut since 2013.

Potter was shaken, and coupled with Wagshol’s history — at one point he had listed “PLANNING MASS MURDER!!!” as an activity on his Facebook profile and “I’M GENOCIDAL” as an interest under hobbies — she had to say something.

She called family members.

She called the Norwalk Police Department, she went to her local police department in New Hampshire. Her wife, Lee Ann Potter, submitted a tip to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center and called to make sure it had been received.

From those calls and upon further investigation, Norwalk police were able to get a risk warrant to search where Wagshol lived with his father and found hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a pistol, a long rifle, a hand grenade and in a car in the garage, four 30roundbullet magazines. They obtained the warrant under the Red Flag law in Connecticut, which is proposed in Congress and needs to pass.

Wagshol is innocent until proven guilty (his next court date is scheduled for Oct. 22); his father legally owned the guns. But authorities point to this arrest as one of three potential mass shootings that may have been averted.

More people need to be vigilant. It is human nature to think it — a mass shooting — couldn’t happen here. But time after time in recent years the unthinkable has happened across the country, in schools, churches, supermarkets, theaters, dance clubs, at concerts and workplaces. It could happen anywhere.

We are left to watching each other because the U.S. Senate is stonewalling gun violence prevention legislation that would better protect the public. Eight months ago the House passed a universal background check bill — which is supported by a majority of Americans — but the Senate leadership won’t even consider it. Shamefully, President Trump waffled on his support.

Let’s be grateful that Melissa Potter has more courage than these political leaders and out of concern for public safety said something.

It is human nature to think it — a mass shooting — couldn’t happen here. But time after time in recent years the unthinkable has happened across the country, in schools, churches, supermarkets, theaters, dance clubs, at concerts and workplaces. It could happen anywhere.