SOUTHEAST SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Parents, law enforcement and community leaders gathered in Colorado Springs Christian Church Thursday night for a town hall focused on the risks children face both online and off.
The event, “Fentanyl, Social Media, Chatbots and the Risks Facing Our Kids,” was hosted by Blue Rising, a Colorado nonprofit focused on issues affecting young people.
The discussion covered fentanyl, youth violence, social media, sextortion, suicide, harmful online content and the growing use of artificial intelligence and chatbots by children.
For some families in the room, those issues were personal.
Matt Riviere shared the story of his two sons, who died in 2021
““My boys they were experimenting with what they thought was oxycodone for the first time and it turned out to be counterfeit drugs laced with deadly fentanyl.”
He also said his sons accessed the drugs through social media.
“My kids did get the drug that ended up killing them on social media, they used snapchat. Little did I know that it's really like DoorDash for drugs.” Riviere said.
He described Snapchat as more than a communication platform in his family's experience, saying it could also connect young people to drugs.
Riviere said his family had rules and guidelines surrounding social media.
“blocked the Internet at night, blocked sites,” he said.
But he believes parents cannot always see or understand everything their children encounter online.
Another parent, Lori Schott, spoke about her daughter who died by suicide in 2020.
“Anna lee, she was a beautiful little 18-year-old farm girl from the plains of eastern Colorado. she loved every four-legged creature there was”
After her daughter's death, Schott said she looked through her phone and found content she believes contributed to her daughter's struggles with mental health.
She said TikTok was particularly concerning.
“TikTok was the most devastating. Her page was filled with suicide content, It was a lot about self hate. It was a lot about anxiety and depression.” Schott said.
Schott said her experience changed the way she looks at social media and the responsibility placed on parents to understand what their children may encounter online.
Police warn risks go beyond social media
CSPD Deputy Chief Doug Trainer told the audience that the risks facing children extend beyond fentanyl.
“I think it's greater than fentanyl,” Trainer said. “I think there's all sorts of problems that social media bring into the equation for very young children.”
Trainer pointed to drug use, violence, sex extortion and online grooming as concerns for young people.
He said children as young as 10 or 11 can be affected.
Trainer encouraged parents to stay involved in their children's lives and have ongoing conversations about what they are seeing and experiencing online.
“Be involved in your children's lives,” Trainer said. “I think you need to be more involved than you think you need to be.”
The concerns discussed Thursday also included artificial intelligence.
El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen said the growing use of AI by children is another area parents need to understand.
“The growing threat of AI as it relates to children is something that we need to be really concerned about,” Allen said.
Local youth violence
The discussion also included local juvenile crime data.
The numbers shared at the event show aggravated assaults involving juveniles increased from 205 in 2020 to 347 in 2025.
The event organizers said the goal was to bring families with lived experience together with law enforcement and community leaders to raise awareness about the changing risks facing young people.
Blue Rising Executive Director Dawn Reinfeld said “We bridge the gap between those in pain and those in power.”
For the parents sharing their stories, that includes bringing their experiences into conversations about potential changes to laws and policies affecting children online.
But they also emphasized that change can start at home.
“I like to have what I say to parents is courageous conversations just be open with the kids, talk with them,” said Riviere
