Three years after moving to the U.S. and two months after the birth of her daughter, documentary filmmaker Louise Van Assche hears on the news about a gunman killing 19 children and 2 teachers in an elementary school a few villages away. She becomes intrigued with school security and learns more about armed teachers and active shooter exercises. Together with editor and filmmaker Kwinten Gernay, she investigates how much fear parents and children face on a daily basis. The Bad Guy is about a system driven by fear rather than reason, where preparation trumps prevention and where children must protect themselves.