Just blocks from the White House, a quiet act of service ended in tragedy.

Two young National Guard members were ambushed; one was killed instantly, and another was left in critical condition.

This week on Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum welcomes Dr. Sunny Slaughter to reflect on what happened that day and what it reveals about leadership, language, and the power of restraint.

Together, they explore how hate takes root, why communication can be a matter of life and death, and what it truly means to serve with empathy when the world feels like it’s falling apart.

Highlights:

• (0:00) Sheryl McCollum reveals Zone 7’s 2026 return to weekly episodes and the kickoff. of the 10-8 Tour

• (1:00) Welcome to Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum and guest Dr. Sunny Slaughter

• (4:15) The ambush that killed Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically injured Andrew Wolfe, 24

• (7:00) How compassion, not politics, defines law enforcement and military duty

• (10:00) “Take the temperature down to zero”: Dr. Slaughter’s warning against political violence

• (12:30) Dr. Slaughter’s experience teaching “lens, language, and law” and why empathy is operational readiness

• (17:00) Service as calling, not career: advice for the next generation of guardsmen and officers

• (20:45) Sheryl and Dr. Slaughter on gratitude, resilience, and learning through hardship

• (27:00) Finding meaning after loss and the power of service on purpose• (30:00) Preparing for crisis: why every law enforcement professional must plan for the unexpected

• (35:00) The Florida eviction tragedy and how quickly crisis can turn fatal

• (36:15) Final reflections: honoring the National Guard members through unity, compassion, and continued service

Guest Bio:

Dr. Sunny Slaughter is a law enforcement instructor, expert witness and crisis communication strategist who specializes in counterterrorism, extremism, and emerging threats. As CEO of Sunny Slaughter Consulting and founder of the Sunny Slaughter Group, she helps agencies nationwide build crisis-ready leadership. A former military spouse and longtime advocate for justice and public safety, Dr. Slaughter has served as a U.S. Department of Homeland Security instructor and continues to guide federal, state, and local agencies in strengthening community resilience.

Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire.

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a Metro Atlanta Police Department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than 4 decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing. Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.

Social Links:

• Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

• Twitter: @ColdCaseTips

• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

• Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

Preorder Sheryl’s upcoming book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Lessons in Life,Justice, and Joy from a Forensic Scientist, releasing May 2026 from Simon and Schuster.

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sheryl briefs us on Zone 7 news for the New Year!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At 4:22 p.m. on what should have been an ordinary December afternoon, gunfire erupted inside the engineering building at Providence College. Students preparing for final exams found themselves barricaded in classrooms as text alerts warned, “Hide. Stay where you are. Silence your phone.” This week on Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum and retired FBI Special Agent Scott Duffey revisit the Providence College shooting, where a day of finals spiraled into chaos and tragedy. Together, they discuss the confusion inside the building, the calm suspect caught on camera, and the observant witness whose attention to detail helped identify him. Sheryl and Scott examine what went right, what went wrong, and how information, instinct, and timing shaped the investigation.

Highlights:

• (0:00) Welcome to Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum and returning guest Scott Duffey to discuss the Providence College shooting and the law-enforcement response that followed

• (5:45) The moment violence reached Providence College: students taking finals as shots rang out

• (12:30) “Nobody was prepared to take this person on”: why Providence College was a soft target

• (15:30) Behavioral clues and why the suspect didn’t fit the usual active-shooter profile

• (18:30) How video surveillance, community vigilance, and digital evidence guided the search

• (21:15) Law enforcement press conferences and why clear, real-time communication with the public is critical

• (25:00) The second engineer’s murder: coincidence or connection?

• (28:30) Theorizing motive and method• (31:00) The suspect’s calm demeanor and cultural clues that caught investigators’ attention

• (34:45) Terrorism concerns, global context, and seasonal timing during the holidays

• (39:00) Update: the shooter found deceased; press conference missteps and misinformation

• (43:15) The breakthrough witness whose attention to detail broke open the case

• (48:30) Closing thoughts on the investigation, the likelihood of a manifesto, and why violent offenders rarely act in silence

Guest Bio:

Scott Duffey is a retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent with more than two decades of service in the Bureau’s Baltimore Division, including assignments with the Wilmington Resident Agency and the Delaware Violent Crimes Task Force. He now directs the Criminal Justice Institute at Wilmington University, where he teaches interview and interrogation techniques to law enforcement professionals. Duffey also provides on-air crime analysis for FOX, CNN, NewsNation, and the Wildlife CSI Academy, continuing to educate, inform, and engage audiences worldwide.

Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire.

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a Metro Atlanta Police Department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than 4 decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing. Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.

Social Links:

• Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

• Twitter: @ColdCaseTips

• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

• Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

Preorder Sheryl’s upcoming book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Lessons in Life,Justice, and Joy from a Forensic Scientist, releasing May 2026 from Simon and Schuster.

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.