Episode summary

Aaron Stark is known for saying something most people never expect to hear: "I was almost a school shooter." This episode is about what comes after that sentence.

As a teenager, Aaron came frighteningly close to committing an act of mass violence. Human connection helped interrupt that trajectory before anyone was harmed — but avoiding the act did not mean leaving that version of himself behind. In the first episode of Repair: Making Space For More, Aaron joins Sammy Rangel for a deeply personal conversation about what repair looks like when the harm you carry is something you almost caused.

Content Note: Includes discussion of childhood abuse, suicidal ideation, gun violence, and plans for a school shooting. Please listen with care.

In this episode, we cover

 * Living with what almost happened.
 * Repair before the breaking point.
 * Understanding the path without excusing it.
 * Accountability for the person you almost became.
 * Shame, responsibility, and self-understanding.
 * Turning responsibility into purpose.
 * Repair as something lived, not completed.

Meet our guest

Aaron Stark is a speaker, advocate, and violence prevention educator whose story became widely known through his TEDx talk, I Was Almost a School Shooter. His work focuses on helping others understand pathways toward violence, the importance of human connection, and the possibility of choosing a different path.

Connect with Aaron: Instagram @aarongstark79 [https://www.instagram.com/aarongstark79] · YouTube: Aaron Stark · TEDx talk [https://youtu.be/azRl1dI-Cts]

Episode timestamps

 * 00:20 – Welcome to Repair: Making Space For More
 * 01:46 – Aaron and the story behind "I Was Almost a School Shooter"
 * 02:18 – Childhood trauma, isolation, and the path toward violence
 * 32:07 – What does repair mean to Aaron today?
 * 34:14 – What are we making space for?
 * 38:51 – Outro

Resources

Aaron Stark — I Was Almost a School Shooter (TEDxBoulder) [https://youtu.be/azRl1dI-Cts] · Aaron Stark's story on NOW I AM_ [https://nowiam.co/story/aaron-stark/]

About Repair

Repair: Making Space For More explores what it means to live honestly with harm — whether we caused it, experienced it, nearly caused it, or inherited its consequences. Coming to Apple Podcasts and Spotify in early 2027.

Connect with the hosts

Sammy Rangel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammyrangel] · Christy Grace Provines [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christygraceprovines] (IG @cgpnyc [https://www.instagram.com/cgpnyc]) · NOW I AM_ [https://nowiam.co]

Production

Christy Grace Provines, creative director & co-host · Sammy Rangel, lead host · Tim Shores, producer · Matt Lolich, post-production editor

Repair: Making Space For More by NOW I AM_

[Season 1, Episode 1] I was Almost a School Shooter: Aaron Stark on Repair, Reckoning, and Living With He Almost Did