One thing is almost universally true in these case
The active shooter, that person who storms into a classroom, cinema, restaurant or house of worship, is most likely suffering from acute mental illness. The mental illness often leads to delusional feelings and a profound sense of victimization. As investigators delve into the shooter’s past to determine just what triggered such violent behavior, the phrases “you did this to me” or “you made me do this” either written or spoken, were articulated by the perpetrator in the days or weeks preceding the killing spree.
We’re not addressing here motivational factors that might have contributed to the violent behavior, such as political, ideological or religious opinions or racial animus, though those are often present as well. In those instances, mental illness may be a secondary factor or not a factor at all. What we are addressing is the emotional component when mental illness severe that beset the shooter and that lead the shooter to often uncontrollable outbursts of violent behavior that culminate in a mass shooting.
Of course, each case is different and no hard and fast rule applies to each mass shooting in the US. But when taken as a whole, we can discern some characteristics of those who perpetrate a mass shooting from a mental health perspective.
In general terms, the perpetrator has suffered from mental illness in the past, whether diagnosed properly or not. What’s more, studies of perpetrators-such as Adam Lanza, the author of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting-have shown that the mental illness, even if diagnosed, was not treated with correct medical protocols. By this, we mean either accepted clinical practices for treating the illness were not adhered to or the patient himself did not follow the prescribed treatment. In the case of Lanza, both are true. He suffered from untreated Asperger’s syndrome, which is suspected of worsening his mental illness. At the same time, he did not follow the prescribed treatment for his mental illness, once diagnosed.
In the case of Cho Seung Hui, the shooter in the Virginia Tech massacre who killed 31 people, we also see a case of severe mental illness not properly diagnosed. Although he had been counseled in the past about violent outbursts and harassment of other students, his feelings of victimization, made worse by bullying, were manifest during the shooting spree when he railed against everyone associated with him or the university in any way. During the subsequent investigation, police uncovered at least two videos he made of himself. One of the two he apparently recorded for post-incident airing. In that one, he makes it clear that others made him commit the horrific acts that day at the university. “I did not want to do this. You made me do it”, he states.
A couple of other characteristics we often see in the perpetrators of mass shootings are self-isolation, a “loner”, social awkwardness and the inability to develop meaningful relationships with friends or family. Indeed, in many cases a close friend or family member would be one of the first to detect changes in personality that hint at something being awry and thus attempt to force intervention. But all too often, the rage and victimization remain inside, as the eventual shooter is living in a surreal environment, convinced that there is no way out, no escape, from his brutal world unless he lashes out against the very threats that he believes are victimizing him.
There are many other factors that influence a shooter of this type and we do not discount ideology. But it is the leap that the eventual shooter must make that is addressed here. The decision to perpetrate the crime or not is a conscious one and thus the ability of the shooter to make that leap is influenced greatly by his mental state.
In an upcoming letter, we’ll take a look at some of the differences discernible in cases wherein the shooter is acting out of a deeply held ideological conviction as opposed to one who is reacting to years of internalized strife that manifests itself in violence.
(Security Strategies Today offers a one or two day in depth course on preparing your company or workforce in the event of an active shooter incident. The course address both the mindset of the shooter and tactical issues for those caught up in the event. Contact us for a quote.)
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]]>Several recent terrorist attacks shocked the U.S. and the world. A December 2, 2015 massive shooting in San Bernardino, California was especially frightening, not only because it occurred on American soil, but because it happened at a workplace during a holiday party. It reminded us that workplaces are not a sanctuary from tragedies. They can happen anywhere, to any employer.
San Bernardino led to a flood of calls to our workplace safety attorneys seeking advice on preparation for such emergencies. Clients wondered how do they prepare? How do they train their employees? What written emergency response program is required?
In many circumstances OSHA requires employers to implement an emergency action plan (“EAP”) to handle responses to these situations. While some employers believe they’re immune from this mandate, its application is broader than most believe.
Emergency Action Plans
A written emergency action plan must be implemented by employers with over 10 employees when required under one of several OSHA standards that trigger EAP obligations, such as
In addition, if fire extinguishers are required or provided in your workplace, and if anyone will be evacuating during a fire or other emergency, OSHA (29 CFR 1910.157) requires you to have an EAP. (If you have less than 10 employees, you can communicate an EAP orally)
At a minimum, the EAP must include the following elements set out in 29 CFR 1910.38(c)):
Would your EAP cover an active shooter situation?
Is your EAP broad enough to cover management of an active shooter situation? Do employees know what to do if such an emergency arose? Have you rehearsed your response to such a situation?
More importantly, do you and your management employees know how to handle the stress of this type of situation?
A TED Talk’s Roadmap for Emergency Management
In his dynamic TED talk entitled “How to Stay Calm when you Know You’ll be Stressed,” found here, Daniel Levitin recalls the stress he experienced after locking himself out of his home and nearly missing an international flight. The eight-hour flight, during which he never slept because his tardiness led to his reassignment to a seat near the lavatory, gave Levitin time to ponder systems to handle stress under emergency circumstances. He wondered if we could attempt to mimic such stress before the emergency arose, so that stress would not affect our decision-making skills once the incident actually occurred.
Levitin questions why organizations conduct “post-mortem” examinations of disasters after the accident occurs to see what went wrong, but nearly never perform a “pre-mortem” analysis. In a “pre-mortem” examination, companies can look ahead and try to “figure out all the things that could go wrong, and then try to figure out what you can do to prevent those things from happening, or to minimize the damage.”
When you’re under stress, Levitin claims, the brain releases “cortisol, a toxic, which causes cloudy thinking.” A “pre-mortem” analysis recognizes that “under stress you’re not going to be at your best, and you should put systems in place.” “The idea is to think ahead to what those failures might be” and prepare for them.
Implementing Lessons from Levitin’s Talk into Your EAP
Levitin’s talk shows us that a written EAP alone is not be enough to handle an emergency like an active shooter situation. In addition to having a written program, ensure your employees know exactly what to do if an emergency occurs. Rehearse these situations. Have a list of tasks for each employee to conduct once an incident arises. Make sure every task that must be completed during a response is considered.
More importantly, simulate the stressful environment that accompanies an emergency before it actually occurs. In your rehearsals, go over the things that could go wrong:
As Levitin explains, mimicking these stressful situations will better prepare your management to handle an emergency situation. Preparing to handle issues and make decisions while under stress will help keep your team safe.
]]>Do you and your employees know what to do if you hear shooting? The most common reactions are freezing in place or dropping to the floor, and neither action is generally a sound survival strategy. Dropping to the floor or hiding in a place with no escape route may simply make the shooter’s job easier because he is not faced with moving targets. Honestly; have you ever thought about what you and your employees should do if a shooter is stalking through your workplace?
The good news is that it doesn’t take much effort to provide at least basic active shooter trining. The bad news is that few employers do so. The analysis is that a workplace shooting is unlikely, so why train employees about how to respond. The answer is simple risk analysis …
The training will probably never be needed, but if an incident does occur, your training may save your employees. The instruction might also save them or their family outside of work.
Resources
The Department of Homeland Security maintains a site with plenty of information, including a 90 video.
But you don’t need 90 minutes … show your employees this five minute YouTube video by DHS.
I’ll share a brief summary of suggestions. If you hear shooting, RUN! If you cannot run, only then should you hide. If you have no other option, fight.
More importantly, teach yourself to practice “situational awareness.” I fought for many years, and as I aged, I had to deal with guys half my age. “Situational awareness” and quick reflexes were survival skills when one is in their late 40s fighting with guys in the 20s. My fighting, combined with other training and experiences, resulted in me always considering my environment. When I’m in a theater, I note the exits. I ponder what I would do in certain circumstances. It’s second nature. It doesn’t take a lot of time. I simply stay alert. Do you?
]]>Yes, in fact there are only three response choices for facility occupants to rely upon:
However to be practical and effective, tailored active shooter response protocolshave to take into account several factors such as:
These are just to name a few.
Other factors will influence the variations of how ‘get out/hide out/take out’is applied and which of these response options are selected under what conditions. Having a generic plan which defines the three basic options is only the beginning. Accounting for the uniqueness of your facility and giving example circumstances to prepare each occupant to know specifically how they should react in a situation is the key to developing an effective active shooter response plan.
Then the plan must be tested and rehearsed. Include the local emergency responders in the refinement of your plan. Lessons learned from other incidents that have occurred, and from your own rehearsals, can be used to further modify and tailor your active shooter response plan; the one that might become part of your legal defense and your clear conscience. Facility management has a legal and moral responsibility to have an active shooter response plan that is practical and will give people a chance to survive. It’s the right thing to do.
For more detailed training regarding active shooter response guidelines see our course at www.imac-training.com.
]]>No matter where you are when someone is trying to kill you with a gun, you must suppress a powerful natural urge to panic and instead act with extreme speed and focus. Reading these tips is a good first step, but you must repeatedly imagine yourself doing these things in a situation like this so it becomes something akin to second nature (at least, in your head). In an active shooter scenario, you do not have the luxury of careful planning or ponderous recall.
1. Run if you can. There’s no surer way to survive a shooting than not being around to take a bullet, and the faster you move, the less likely you will fall into a shooter’s sights. However, depending on your proximity to the shooter(s) when he opens fire, running might expose you directly to close-range gunfire, which greatly increases your chances of serious injury or death. You should also avoid running if you can’t tell where the gunshots are coming from; the last thing you want to do is accidentally run towards the shooter(s). Bottom line: If you know which way is “away from the bullets” and you have a relatively safe exit route, get out of there as fast as you can (and take nearby people with you, if they’re smart enough to follow). If you come under fire while fleeing, remember that you become a much more difficult target if you run in an irregular pattern (i.e. not in a straight line).
2. If you can’t run, find cover, and choose very wisely. In the military, “concealment” refers to an environmental object that removes you from your enemy’s line of sight, while “cover” refers to an object that can potentially stop a bullet or other projectile. In an active shooter scenario, you need cover and you need it fast. Remember, bullets—especially rifle bullets—can easily penetrate drywall, cubicle separators, and many types of doors. If concealment is the only thing you can get to when bullets start flying, take your chances, but otherwise you should always seek cover to reduce your chances of being hit by a stray round (this is especially important in confined spaces, such as an office building).
3. If you can’t run or reach cover, attempt to disable the shooter. Anyone involved in the military or law enforcement will tell you that this course of action is purely a last resort, and this is true. If you have immediate access to a firearm, the situation becomes more tenable, but for most people this won’t be the case. In an active shooter scenario—especially when unarmed—you should only attack the shooter if the choice is between that and being shot. If you must resort to this action, focus on gaining control of the firearm and forcing the barrel in a safe direction, even if it involves getting into a wrestling match with the shooter. Remember, even if both of your hands are occupied with struggling for control of the firearm, you still have your head and knees to use as weapons. Finally, consider the next point when imagining how this course of action would play out.
4. Always use your environment. An active shooter scenario is a game of survival, and the deck has been stacked against you. Your enemy has the element of surprise and (in most cases) outguns you. You can mitigate this disadvantage by using your environment more effectively than the shooter does. If he is wearing tactical gear and carrying a large shotgun or rifle, and you are wearing a typical business casual outfit, he will not be able to move through tight spaces like small stairways as quickly as you can (especially if he is tall and/or has a large stature). If he’s carrying a rifle, long hallways give him the advantage and shorter hallways with tight corners will require him to constantly realign his sights; if he’s carrying a shotgun, long hallways give him a disadvantage because the effectiveness of his weapon decreases at greater distances. If you’re being cornered and think you may have to resort to an offensive strike, take a quick inventory of potential improvised weapons around you: Anything from a heavy pencil sharpener to a shard of broken glass can give you an edge that may decide a struggle between you and the shooter.
]]>The Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) reported there were a total of 13,827 workplace homicides between 1992 to 2010. Statistics from the FBI have shown that 49% of the shootings ended prior to law enforcements arrival to the property. In reality, this statistic means employees, contractors, vendors, and consumers are essential on their own until help arrives. However, additional statistics show the average response time for law enforcement is 3 minutes while the average active shooter event last 12 minutes. Thus, the individuals who are in harm’s way are not out of the woods until the threat has been neutralized regardless if law enforcement is on property.
For a guest who is unfamiliar with the property, he or she looks to the employee for help, guidance, and support. They hope and trust the business has trained their staff on this deadly event and that each employee is familiar with the active shooter plan specific to their position within the property. What if the business doesn’t have a plan for this emergency and if they do have a plan but never trained on the plan? The plan is only meaningless paper if it is never exercised and shared with every employee.
The first step is not merely to discuss an active shooter event in a closed executive meeting, but to develop a written plan by a team of people who are concerned with their own safety and that of the guests. The plan cannot be developed in a vacuum but must be prepared by a planning team. The team may include security, safety, risk, legal, human resources, finance, union representatives, IT and the executive office. Once drafted the base product should be distributed to a representative of each operational department, a front line employee representative, and tenants. Further, consider sharing the base plan with contractors and vendors who are working on property, neighboring businesses and representatives of the first responder community. In reality, first responders consist of fire departments, emergency services, paramedics and law enforcement.
A question sometimes arises, “Why would the plan be shared with neighboring businesses?” When it comes to the safety and security of employees and guests there are no corporate secrets or proprietary marketing strategies being shared just a genuine commitment in the preservation of life. Provide a redacted base plan if you deem it necessary. This action may also prompt the neighboring businesses to develop their own plan. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI and New York City Police Department have indicated that 18% of the shooters are mobile, which means they can go place to place and not remain at the scene of the first shooting. Approximately 10% stop shooting and just walk off, possibly towards your building.
Develop a plan now, not after an event. Don’t fall into thinking about the Las Vegas odds. What are the odds that it will happen here? Finally, what would a jury, judge, guest or employee think about a company that does not have a written plan for their safety, trained on the active shooter plan or never even considered developing an active shooter plan?
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