Thousands participate in U.S. Secret Service school safety training program at Neumann University

ASTON, Pa. - Over 1,000 educators and law enforcement agents from around the country gathered at Neumann University in Aston, Pa. to learn how to keep schools safer.

The seminar, held by the United States Secret Service, taught attendees how to react to school violence and how to prevent it from happening.

"It's prevention of targeted violence, and that's something the Secret Service is always interested in," said Special Agent James Henry. "Obviously it's directly correlated to our protective mission, we want to prevent an attack."

Preventative measures could have helped stop the tragic school shootings at Columbine High School and Parkland High School. In both cases, students knew of an immediate threat, but declined to report it to an adult or school officials.

Last year early prevention led to the arrest of a 16-year-old Taiwanese exchange student who threatened to attack Bonner High School in Upper Darby, Pa.

Police found 1,500 rounds of ammunition and other weapons in the student's home.

Delaware District Attorney Katayoun Copeland said catching the student before he was able to carry out an attack on the school "diverted an incident of potential mass casualty."

The Secret Service has also gone to elementary schools to help parents make fingerprint and photo records for their kids.

"You think 'not in my backyard,' so we need to make sure we know what could happen and be prepared in case it does," Lansdale Catholic Assistant Principal Margaret Picozzi said.