ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Wednesday, May 9, 2024 marks three years since the murder of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey. The cheerleader was found stabbed to death in St. Johns County on Mother's Day.
Tuesday night, Bailey's family hosted an event focused on keeping teens safe online.
Rising 8th grade cheerleaders and their parents from all over North Florida, walked out of Tocoi Creek High School's auditorium with more knowledge on how to keep themselves safe online, following a safety presentation from a Homeland Security Investigations special agent.
"It taught me a lot," said Avery Dobson, a rising 8th grader.
Those in the crowd were shown informative videos and examples of tactics from predators online.
"I think it was great for us to hear the dangers of social media and how we can protect ourselves from everyone and make sure we’re safe online," another rising 8th grader, Charlotte Aberdeen told First Coast News. "It made me get a new perspective on this."
Tristyn's father, Forrest Bailey said he is happy teens are learning and is a big reason why the Bailey family held the event.
"This is really important to us," said Bailey. "It’s really not about saying social media is bad and we shouldn’t use social media, it’s about how do we use it responsibly."
Homeland Security provided parents with resources and taught them about ways to protect their children during the event, like having your child's passwords, knowing your child's friends list and creating open dialogue with your child.