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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 10:38 pm
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Results for mass shootings
24 results foundAuthor: Green, Anthony Title: Auditing the Cost of the Virginia Tech Massacre: How Much We Pay When Killers Kill Summary: Five years ago, on April 16, 2007, an English major at Virginia Tech University named Seung-Hui Cho gunned down and killed 32 people, wounded another 17, and then committed suicide as the police closed in on him on that cold, bloody Monday. Since then, 12 more spree killings have claimed the lives of another 90 random victims and wounded another 92 people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time when deranged and well-armed killers suddenly burst upon their daily lives. This carnage includes the very recent killing by Ohio high school student T.J. Lane of three of his fellow students with a gun he took out of his grandfather’s barn, which also wounded two others. Lane’s revolver held 10 bullets, and he fired all 10. As we went to press, still another spree killing took place on a university campus where at least seven were killed and three wounded. This most recent spree killing— the 13th, including Cho’s rampage at Virginia Tech five years ago—occurred at a small religious college near Oakland, California, called Oikos University. What links these tragedies? It’s simple: histories indicating dangerousness combined with the lack of adequate gun control. Cho had a history of mental illness but was able to bypass the national gun purchase background check system and buy two weapons to accomplish his meticulously planned spree killing. He also bought a number of high-capacity magazines, which supersized his weapons. Well-armed, he was able to commit his carnage in no more than 15 minutes, pausing in between his two attacks. The human toll of this, the worst spree killing in recent American history, is incalculable, but there are financial costs that can be calculated. In March 2012 a state court jury in Montgomery County, Virginia, found that Virginia Tech was negligent and awarded $4 million each to two families of victims. The lawsuit was based on the families’ allegations that the lives of the students could have been saved if the university warned the campus community more quickly after the first of the two killings, which took place on the same morning. The damage award may be reduced to $100,000 for each family due to the state’s cap on damages. But as we go to press, the issue of the damages is being argued by the parties before the trial court judge. Further, whether the university appeals the verdict is still an open question. In a completely different legal action, the U.S. Department of Education fined the university $55,000 under the Clery Act, which requires universities to give notice of dangers affecting students. The university appealed, the U.S. Department of Education rejected the appeal, and subsequently a federal administrative court judge in April 2012 ruled in favor of Virginia Tech. These possible courtroom costs, however, pale in comparison to the cost of negligence due to the failure of ambiguous gun control laws alongside the lack of any genuine effort by federal or state officials to clarify the laws so that state police and courts can enforce them to the fullest extent of the law. This lack of enforcement of poorly written laws enables mentally ill people to pass background checks and purchase guns legally even if they have a history indicating dangerousness, including those found by courts to be mentally ill or subject to orders of confinement to a mental health facility. This breakdown in our legal system results in the inestimable loss of life and its horror and consequence. Sadly, we can calculate this cost another way. Another outcome of the lack of gun control is the taxpayer’s bill for a spree killing. In this report we share the findings of our survey of the monetary costs incurred as a result of this murderous rampage at Virginia Tech five years ago. This paper assesses this cost at $48.2 million for the taxpayers of the United States and the commonwealth of Virginia, and for Virginia Tech, a public university. This report also demonstrates how the background-check system, still rife with loopholes, failed to protect American citizens from an armed and dangerous Seung-Hui Cho, costing innocent lives—many of them young ones. The loss of one innocent life to a mentally disturbed shooter should be reason enough to close the gaping holes in the system that permit gun purchases and access to high-capacity magazines that can cause such mayhem. The Virginia Tech tragedy drives this point home in the most dramatic of ways because of the sheer number of deaths and extraordinary financial costs. For this reason, we recommend several commonsense measures designed to curb gun violence without taking a single gun away from the great majority of Americans who have the right to own a weapon. These measures are detailed in main pages of our report, but briefly we recommend: Completing state compliance with requirements to post appropriate mental health records in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; Establishing clear reporting guidelines for when and how mental health records are required to be posted in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System so that states can be held accountable for compliance; Requiring a full background check in all gun transactions, including private sales at gun shows and those online, so that dangerous people cannot purchase guns legally in these nontraditional venues; Fully funding state technology efforts to comply with the federal background check system requirements; Requiring states to comply fully with the protocols of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System or taking away their federal funding if they do not; and Mandating federal compliance with a proposed presidential executive order directing all agencies to submit records to this instant background check system and certifying that they have done so twice yearly to the U.S. attorney general. In addition we offer two other recommendations for Congress to enact arising from the lessons of Virginia Tech: Outlawing high-capacity bullet magazines; and Requiring campuses to establish a threat assessment process. Taking these commonsense steps would go a long way toward ending the spree killing rampages that continue to haunt our nation. Details: Washington, DC: Center for American Progress, 2012. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 15, 2012 at http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/04/pdf/vt_gun_control.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/04/pdf/vt_gun_control.pdf Shelf Number: 124968 Keywords: Background ChecksCampus CrimeCosts of Criminal JusticeGun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceMass ShootingsSchool ShootingsViolent Crime |
Author: Bjelopera, Jerome P. Title: Public Mass Shootings in the United States: Selected Implications for Federal Public Health and Safety Policy Summary: This report focuses on mass shootings and selected implications they have for federal policy in the areas of public health and safety. While such crimes most directly impact particular citizens in very specific communities, addressing these violent episodes involves officials at all levels of government and professionals from numerous disciplines. This report does not discuss gun control and does not systematically address the broader issue of gun violence. Also, it is not intended as an exhaustive review of federal programs addressing the issue of mass shootings. Policy makers may confront numerous questions about shootings such as the December 2012 incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, that claimed 27 lives (not including the shooter). Foremost, what are the parameters of this threat? How should it be defined? There is no broadly agreed-to, specific conceptualization of this issue, so this report uses its own definition for public mass shootings. These are incidents occurring in relatively public places, involving four or more deaths—not including the shooter(s)—and gunmen who select victims somewhat indiscriminately. The violence in these cases is not a means to an end—the gunmen do not pursue criminal profit or kill in the name of terrorist ideologies, for example. One Measure of the Death Toll Exacted by Public Mass Shootings. Applying this understanding of the issue, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) has identified 78 public mass shootings that have occurred in the United States since 1983. This suggests the scale of this threat and is intended as a thorough review of the phenomenon but should not be characterized as exhaustive or definitive. According to CRS estimates, over the last three decades public mass shootings have claimed 547 lives and led to an additional 476 injured victims. Significantly, while tragic and shocking, public mass shootings account for few of the murders or non-negligent homicides related to firearms that occur annually in the United States. Policymaking Challenges in Public Health and Safety Aside from trying to develop a sense of this phenomenon’s scope, policy makers may face other challenges when addressing this topic. To help describe some of the health and safety issues public mass shootings pose, this report discusses selected policy in three areas: law enforcement, public health, and education. While mass shootings may occur in a number of settings, the education realm is one that has received particular attention from policy makers, officials, and the public alike—at least since the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO. The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary has renewed such concerns for many. In the areas of law enforcement, public health, and education, this report discusses some key efforts to prevent mass shootings as well as efforts geared toward preparedness and response. Policy measures that deal with recovery are also discussed within the context of education and public health initiatives. Policy Effectiveness and Outlay of Resources. Many of the policymaking challenges regarding public mass shootings boil down to two interrelated matters: (1) a need to determine the effectiveness of existing programs and (2) figuring out where to disburse limited resources. Finally, baseline metrics related to this problem are often unclear or unavailable. This lack of clarity starts with identifying the number of shootings themselves, since no broadly agreed-to definition exists. Several questions flow from this issue. How many people have such incidents victimized? How much does prevention of, preparedness for, and response to such incidents cost the federal government? What measurements can be used to determine the effectiveness of such programs? Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Services, 2013. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: R43004: Accessed March 21, 2013 at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43004.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43004.pdf Shelf Number: 128065 Keywords: Gun ViolenceMass Homicides (U.S.)Mass ShootingsViolent Crime |
Author: Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Title: The Police Response to Active Shooter Incidents Summary: "The Police Response to Active Shooter Incidents," which describes changes in police departments' practices in responding to mass shootings, such as the ones that occurred at the Sandy Hook Elementary School and the Washington, DC Navy Yard. Today's policies and practices are focused on reducing the number of victims when an active shooter incident happens. There is an emphasis on engaging the shooter as quickly as possible and not necessarily waiting for SWAT or other special units to arrive. In addition, police, fire, and emergency medical services are conducting joint training designed to get medical assistance to gunshot victims as quickly as possible. Sometimes this involves allowing EMS workers to enter "warm zones" before it is certain that the shooter or shooters have been apprehended. And police officers can be trained to give life-saving medical care. The report also describes efforts by police to work with other governmental and private organizations to prevent active shooter incidents, by identifying persons who may pose a threat and helping them to get treatment for mental illness or other needs. Finally, the report discusses ways in which police can educate community members about what to do if they are confronted with an active shooting situation. Details: Washington, DC: PERF, 2014. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Critical Issues in Policing Series: Accessed July 1, 2014 at: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Critical_Issues_Series/the%20police%20response%20to%20active%20shooter%20incidents%202014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Critical_Issues_Series/the%20police%20response%20to%20active%20shooter%20incidents%202014.pdf Shelf Number: 132585 Keywords: Active Shooter IncidentsCrisis InterventionGun ViolenceMass MurdersMass ShootingsPolice ProceduresPolice TrainingThreat Assessment |
Author: Cannon, Ashley Title: Mayhem Multiplied: Mass Shooters and Large-Capacity Magazines Summary: Mass shootings have taken place consistently throughout American history, in every region of the country. Over the last 30 years, however, large-capacity ammunition magazines-which hold more than 10 rounds-have proliferated, allowing assailants to become much more destructive. A Crime Commission analysis shows, the results have been deadly for Americans. Details: New York: Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, 2015. 5p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 27, 2016 at: http://www.nycrimecommission.org/pdfs/CCC-MayhemMultiplied.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.nycrimecommission.org/pdfs/CCC-MayhemMultiplied.pdf Shelf Number: 137684 Keywords: Gun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceGunsHomicidesMass ShootingsWeapons |
Author: Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, DC) Title: After Action Report: Washington Navy Yard, September 16, 2013. Internal Review of the Metropolitan Police Department, Washington, D.C. Summary: On the morning of Monday, September 16, 2013, Aaron Alexis entered Building 197 at the Washington Navy Yard, where he served as an independent contractor, and carried out the most deadly workplace mass shooting in the Nation's Capital in recent memory. Over the course of 69 minutes, Alexis terrorized thousands of employees of Naval Sea Systems Command, firing indiscriminately from a shotgun he had legally purchased two days earlier and a handgun he had taken from a security guard after mortally wounding the guard. He would also get into multiple shooting engagements with responding law enforcement officers, seriously injuring a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer. In his final confrontation with police, Alexis ambushed and fired upon another MPD officer. Fortunately, the officer was saved by his protective vest and was able to return fire, killing Alexis and ending his rampage. When it was over, Alexis had shot and killed twelve people and injured several others. Over the years, the members of MPD, along with other area law enforcement agencies and emergency responders, have trained extensively for the possibility of an "active shooter" incident. The Department did so with the hope of never having to respond to such a tragedy, but in the wake of Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Fort Hood, and Sandy Hook, among other similar tragedies, MPD recognized the importance and necessity of those preparations. As the primary law enforcement agency for the Nation's Capital, the members of MPD are acutely aware of the many potential targets that exist within the city and the need to remain prepared and vigilant. On September 16, 2013, hundreds of police, fire, and emergency medical personnel from several different agencies responded to the Navy Yard after receiving news of the shooting. Officers relied upon their training, experience, and instincts to run into an unfamiliar and massive building, towards the gunshots and certain danger, in order to stop the gunman from taking more lives. Details: Washington, DC: Metropolitan Police Department, 2014. 83p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 5, 2016 at: http://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/MPD%20AAR_Navy%20Yard_07-11-14.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/MPD%20AAR_Navy%20Yard_07-11-14.pdf Shelf Number: 138936 Keywords: Gun-Related Violence Homicides Internal Security Mass ShootingsNational SecurityPolice Officer Training |
Author: Usher, Laura Title: Preparing for the Unimaginable: How chiefs can safeguard officer mental health before and after mass casualty events Summary: The goal of the report, Preparing for the Unimaginable, is to provide law enforcement executives with the knowledge and resources to assist their agencies in coping with the impact of mass casualty incidents on officer mental health. In response to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012, the COPS Office, in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the Newtown Police Department, developed the guidebook to assist officers who may have to respond to traumatic events. The guidebook includes expert advice and practical tips for helping officers heal emotionally, communicating with the public, working with the media and building relationships with other first responder agencies. Personal contributions of four police chiefs and numerous officers who have lived through incidents such as these and shared their experiences are featured. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2016. 162p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2016 at: http://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-p347-pub.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-p347-pub.pdf Shelf Number: 139274 Keywords: Disasters First Responders Mass ShootingsMental Health Services Police Stress |
Author: Duquet, Nils Title: Armed to Kill: An exploratory analysis of the guns used in public mass shootings in Europe Summary: Every year in Europe around 1,150 people are shot dead with firearms. These deaths occur in various contexts, including the relational and criminal spheres. The little available research into the weapons used during these fatal crimes suggests that different types of firearms are used in different contexts. In this report we focus on the weapons that were used for one specific form of deadly firearms incidents, namely "public mass shootings". These are shooting incidents in the (semi-)public space in which the perpetrator(s) use one or more firearms and during which several people are killed and injured. Under this umbrella term we find numerous types of shooting incidents, ranging from school shootings in which a frustrated pupil murders a number of classmates and/or teachers to terrorist attacks in which groups of perpetrators attempt to spread terror in coordinated attacks. A look at recent mass shootings shows that significant differences can be observed in terms of, for example, the locations where these shootings were carried out, the number of perpetrators, the motives of the perpetrator(s), the selection of the victims and the firearms used. This report analyses one specific aspect of such shooting incidents, namely the firearms that were used. Details: Brussels: Flemish Peace Institute, 2016. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 1, 2016 at: http://www.flemishpeaceinstitute.eu/sites/vlaamsvredesinstituut.eu/files/files/hitp/armed_to_kill.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Europe URL: http://www.flemishpeaceinstitute.eu/sites/vlaamsvredesinstituut.eu/files/files/hitp/armed_to_kill.pdf Shelf Number: 139545 Keywords: FirearmsGun-Related ViolenceGunsHomicidesMass Shootings |
Author: Bricknell, Samantha Title: Mass shootings and firearm control: comparing Australia and the United States Summary: The debate around measures to prevent mass shootings has largely focussed on the effectiveness of firearm controls. Specific mass shooting events in the UK, Canada and Australia were followed by increased restrictions on firearm access and use while in countries such as the US, the response was less conclusive. Various examinations of the impact of firearm controls on firearm deaths have produced inconclusive results and, in particular, made little mention of the impact on the prevalence of mass shootings. This paper compares the incidence and characteristics of mass shooting events in Australia and the US in the period 1981 and 2013. The authors suggests that it is a complement of actions introduced with the Australian firearm reforms of 1996 and 2002 – particularly around access to specified firearm models and legislated methods to identify firearm licence owners at risk of harm or of harming – that have, for Australia at least, provided the stronger preventative response. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2015?. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 2015? Accessed January 30, 2017: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/aic/foi/mass-shootings/Document-1.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/aic/foi/mass-shootings/Document-1.pdf Shelf Number: 144880 Keywords: Gun ControlGun-Related ViolenceHomicidesMass Shootings |
Author: Johnston, Jennifer Title: Mass Shootings and the Media Contagion Effect Summary: According to the latest FBI analysis, mass shootings in the United States have increased three-fold in just the last fifteen years (Blair & Schweit, 2014). Recent analyses of media coverage followed by copycat incidents indicate a media contagion effect (Garcia-Bernardo, et al., 2015; Towers, Gomez-Lievano, Khan, Mubayi, & Castillo-Chavez, 2015). Lankford (2014; 2015) and Meloy, Sheridan, and Hoffman (2008) found that most shooters desired fame and wished to emulate a previous mass shooter. Madfis (2014) suggests that rampage shooters, who are almost all White men in early adulthood seek power and dominance that they perceive is their right, but perceive they are being denied, for various reasons, by society. Profiles of shooters indicate that they are often socially isolated and suffer a pattern of ostracization or bullying, yet they tend toward narcissism (Fox & Delateur, 2013; Fox & Levin, 2013; Meloy, 2014). Many fantasize about revenge or murder, and that this type of fantasy is not unusual or "extreme." Buss's (2005) research indicates up to 90% of men fantasize about murder. What tips the scales from fantasy to reality? We would argue identification with prior mass shooters made famous by extensive media coverage, including names, faces, writings, and detailed accounts of their lives and backgrounds, is a more powerful push toward violence than mental health status or even access to guns. First proposed by Phillips (1983), the violent media contagion effect was largely ignored by criminologists and psychologists, but more recently the evidence of the power of copycat homicide is mounting. Computer models developed by mathematicians note that the events cluster in time and by region (Garcia-Bernardo et al., 2015; Towers, et al., 2015), according to mass and social media coverage. Also, as Phillips (1974) and Stack (2002) determined, celebrity suicides were followed by a sudden spike of suicides in the general population, so mass media agreed to cease reporting names and some details of suicides since 1994 (O'Carroll & Potter, 1994). Our symposium panel of leading experts on this topic will examine the magnitude of the mass shooting media contagion effect, with an aim to suggest guidelines to the media about how, and how much, to cover specific details about the shooters with the aim of preventing a portion of mass murder. Details: Silver City, NM: Western New Mexico University, 2016. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 16, 2017 at: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/08/media-contagion-effect.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/08/media-contagion-effect.pdf Shelf Number: 146214 Keywords: Gun-Related ViolenceHomicidesMass MurdersMass ShootingsMedia |
Author: Griffin, Darrin J. Title: Werther Effect in Active Shooter Events Summary: If it bleeds it leads - this is an unfortunate but real mentality in the industry of news media. Reporting practices have led to what is perceived as sensationalism of negative events. The Werther effect establishes the connection between publicized suicide events and a spike in incidents of suicide that follow (see Kim et al., 2013). Given the established behavior of the Werther effect, investigations should seek to understand what impact, if any, media publicizing has on copycat behavior of other life-ending incidents. Recently, active shooter events have become heavily publicized in the media. This begets a logical question: Are there copycat active shooters that seem to be motivated by media? This study served to explore the possible presence of copycat phenomena of contemporary active shooters through media sensationalism. Through the analysis of shooters' written manifestos available through public record we examined references made within their writings to previous active shooters. This relational data was input into social network analysis software (i.e., UCINET) to construct a network visualization. Google Trend analytics were also used to explore whether media portrayals might be driving interest in past active shooters - especially Columbine and Virginia Tech (VT). Findings support the notion of an idolization effect in the context of active shooters with the focus being on the large shootings of the past. The need for journalist ethics in active shooting contexts is discussed. Details: Unpublished paper, 2014. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 13, 2018 at: http://djgriffin.people.ua.edu/uploads/6/3/6/5/63651523/submission_version_werther_effect_in_active_shooter_events_alabama_communication_conference__1_.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://djgriffin.people.ua.edu/uploads/6/3/6/5/63651523/submission_version_werther_effect_in_active_shooter_events_alabama_communication_conference__1_.pdf Shelf Number: 149459 Keywords: Active ShooterCopycat CrimesGun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceHomicidesJournalistsMass MediaMass ShootingsSocial Network AnalysisWerther Effect |
Author: National Threat Assessment Center Title: Using a Systems Approach for Threat Assessment Investigations: A Case Study on Jared Lee Loughner Summary: When someone comes to the attention of law enforcement for engaging in threatening or concerning behavior, a threat assessment investigation may be initiated to assess the individual's risk for engaging in targeted violence. When conducting a comprehensive assessment of the risk a person may pose, it is essential to gather detailed information from multiple sources to enhance your understanding of the individual's life circumstances and why the individual engaged in the behavior that brought him or her to the attention of law enforcement. This investigative process is supported through the use of a systems approach, which serves as a vital tool for law enforcement to uncover information that may prevent an act of violence from occurring. Using examples from the case of Jared Lee Loughner, who opened fire at a 'Congress on Your Corner' event in January 2011, this document offers some key considerations in applying a systems approach to threat assessment investigations and management. A case summary about Loughner's life also follows Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Secret Service, 2015. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2018 at: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=788759 Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=788759 Shelf Number: 149670 Keywords: Mass ShootingsTargeted Violence Threat Assessment Violence |
Author: National Threat Assessment Center Title: Mass Attacks in Public Spaces - 2017 Summary: Between January and December 2017, 28 incidents of mass attacks, during which three or more persons were harmed, were carried out in public places within the United States (see map for locations). These acts violated the safety of the places we work, learn, shop, relax, and otherwise conduct our day-to-day lives. The resulting loss of 147 lives and injury to nearly 700 others had a devastating impact on our nation as a whole. As the uncertainty they caused continues to ripple through our communities, those charged with ensuring public safety strive to identify methods to prevent these types of attacks. To aid in these efforts, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) examined these 28 incidents, to identify key themes for enhancing threat assessment and investigative practices. Regardless of whether these attacks were acts of workplace violence, domestic violence, school-based violence, or terrorism, similar themes were observed in the backgrounds of the perpetrators, including: Nearly half were motivated by a personal grievance related to a workplace, domestic, or other issue. Over half had histories of criminal charges, mental health symptoms, and/or illicit substance use or abuse. All had at least one significant stressor within the last five years, and over half had indications of financial instability in that timeframe. Over three-quarters made concerning communications and/or elicited concern from others prior to carrying out their attacks. On average, those who did elicit concern caused more harm than those who did not. These findings, and others in this report, support existing best practices that the U.S. Secret Service has established in the field of threat assessment. They highlight the importance of gathering information on a person's background, behaviors, and situational factors; corroborating the information from multiple sources; assessing the risk the individual poses for violence; and identifying intervention points to mitigate that risk. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Secret Service, 2017. 7p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2018 at: https://www.secretservice.gov/data/protection/ntac/USSS_NTAC-Mass_Attacks_in_Public_Spaces-2017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.secretservice.gov/data/protection/ntac/USSS_NTAC-Mass_Attacks_in_Public_Spaces-2017.pdf Shelf Number: 149673 Keywords: Gun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceMass ShootingsPublic SpacesSecret ServiceThreat AssessmentViolence |
Author: Advancement Project Title: Police in Schools Are Not the Answer to School Shootings Summary: Today, we are reissuing Police in Schools are Not the Answer to the Newtown Shootings, an issue brief that our organizations released in the wake of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. At the time, many of the responses to the shooting focused on placing more police officers and more guns in schools. Research and the experiences of countless students, teachers, and parents have taught us that while these proposals may create the appearance of safety, the actual effects wreak havoc on school culture and fuel the school-to-prison pipeline. After Newtown, we urged lawmakers at the local, state, and national level to resist policies that would turn even more schools into hostile environments where students, especially Black and Brown students, are more likely to be arrested, harassed, and assaulted by police. Five years later, in the wake of the tragic Parkland shooting, we have yet again seen calls to militarize and weaponize our schools, despite no evidence that these policies will protect our students. Our position remains the same: proposals that increase the presence of police, guns, and other law enforcement approaches to school safety should not be the response to school shootings. This foreword includes new evidence and experiences that demonstrate why police do not belong in schools. Police do not contribute to positive, nurturing learning environments for students. The increased presence of police officers in schools across the country discipline has been linked to increases in school-based arrests for minor misbehaviors and negative impacts on school climate. In the last five years, the evidence against placing police in schools has only grown. National School Survey on Crime and Safety data show that having a School Resource Officer at a school on at least a weekly basis increases the number of students who will be involved in the justice system. Arrest rates for disorderly conduct and low-level assault substantially increase when police are assigned to schools. The evidence does not suggest that police are the best way to improve school safety; rather, increasing their numbers comes at an unacceptable cost in the form of the criminalization and overincarceration of students. Although students of color do not misbehave more than white students, they are disproportionately policed in schools: nationally, Black and Latinx youth made up over 58% of school-based arrests while representing only 40% of public school enrollment and Black and Brown students were more likely to attend schools that employed school resource officers (SROs), but not school counselors. Black students were more than twice as likely to be referred to law enforcement or arrested at school as their white peers. Research shows that police officers perceive Black youth differently than they do white youth, and this bias, not any actual difference in behavior, leads to the over-criminalization of students of color. Police see Black children as less "childlike" than their White peers and overestimate the age and culpability of Black children accused of an offense more than they do for white children accused of an offense. Details: Los Angeles: Advancement Project, 2013. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2018 at: https://advancementproject.org/resources/police-schools-not-answer-school-shootings/ Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://advancementproject.org/resources/police-schools-not-answer-school-shootings/ Shelf Number: 149870 Keywords: Mass ShootingsRacial DisparitiesSchool CrimeSchool Resource OfficersSchool SafetySchool SecuritySchool ShootingsSchool Violence |
Author: Parsons, Chelsea Title: America's Youth Under Fire: The Devastating Impact of Gun Violence on Young People Summary: On February 14, 2018, 14 students and three staff members were murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, by a single shooter armed with an assault rifle. This horrific massacre galvanized the nation's attention to the issue of gun violence, particularly as it affects young people in this country. However, the scope of gun violence as it affects America's youth is much vaster than this most recent mass shooting. Gunfire has officially overtaken car accidents as one of the leading killers of young people in the United States. As of publication time, since the beginning of 2018, 820 teens ages 12 to 17 have been killed or injured with a gun. As mass shootings become more common and more deadly, a staggering 57 percent of teenagers now fear a school shooting. The epidemic of gun violence against America's youth is more than just a disturbing data point. For each bullet fired, there are multiple stories of lives changed forever. When he was just 6 years old, Missouri State Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. saw his brother shot in front of their neighbor's home. Nevada activist Mariam El-Haj witnessed the shooting of her mother by her estranged father, who then turned the gun on Mariam. Oregon youth mentor Jes Phillip's siblings have all had close calls-she has three younger sisters who were present at the Reynolds High School shooting in Troutdale, Oregon, and two bullets landed next to her brother's bed when they came through her family's apartment wall during a neighborhood shooting. Nineteen- year-old student Eli Saldana, a member of the Native American community living in Chicago, was shot on his walk home from work. These stories of gun violence are all too common among young Americans. The United States' gun violence epidemic disproportionately ravages young people, particularly young people of color. In short, gun violence is shattering a generation. Young people are not simply victims of gun violence in this country, they are among the leading voices calling for change to the nation's weak gun laws and deadly gun culture. Organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement; survivors of the Parkland shooting; youth organizers working in cities hardest hit by gun violence, such as Chicago, Baltimore, and St. Louis, have all lent their voices to an increasingly loud call to action. These young people do not just want to reform gun laws-they are also demanding that the issue of gun violence be examined as part of a complex and intersectional web of issues that also include community disinvestment, criminal justice reform, and policing. They are advocating not only for solutions to make schools safer from mass shootings but also for holistic and intersectional solutions that will help make all communities safer. This report breaks down how gun violence is affecting young people, and how young activists are rising to build an intersectional movement working for solutions. It examines the specific impact of gun violence on young people and considers both how young people as a collective are disproportionately affected and how different communities of young people share different aspects of the burden of this violence. This report also highlights examples of young people leading the advocacy efforts around this issue and discusses a number of policy solutions that are crucial to reducing gun violence, reforming the criminal justice system, improving police-community relations, and encouraging reinvestment in impacted communities. Details: Washington, DC: Center for American Progress; Generation Progress, 2018. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2018 at: http://genprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/03163735/2018-YouthUnderFire-report.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: http://genprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/03163735/2018-YouthUnderFire-report.pdf Shelf Number: 150119 Keywords: Gun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceHomicidesMass ShootingsViolent Crime |
Author: Doran, Selina Evelyn Margaret Title: News media constructions and policy implications of school shootings in the United States Summary: This thesis focuses on 'school shootings' in the United States. Examined here are the news media constructions and public reactions to such incidents, as they pertain to scholarly conceptualisations of fear, moral panics and vulnerability; as well policy responses relating to emergency management in educational institutions and gun-related legislative proposals and actions. Current literature in the field defines 'school shootings' as a particular type of 'spree' or 'mass' killing, involving the murder or attempted murder of students and staff at an education institution. This phenomenon is most prolific in the United States. Two case studies were selected from a list of possible incidents based on their high profile news media coverage, policy impact and infamous natures. The examples used are the school shootings at Columbine High School, Colorado (1999) and Virginia Polytechnic University, Virginia (2007); although the developments provoked by the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School, Connecticut shooting are noted throughout. The objectives of the research are: exploring the effect of my two case studies on reshaping or entrenching current moral panic and fear debates; whether the two shootings have transformed emergency management and communication practices; the role that fear plays in the concealed carry on campus movement which arose after the Virginia Tech incident; surmising about which gun-related legislative actions are possible in future. Employed here is a theoretical framework pertaining to moral panics, fear of crime risk management, and framing of news media and policy. My methodological approach was qualitative in nature. A total of 14 interviews were conducted with experts in gun violence prevention, and emergency management and communication. Ethnographic research was carried out in the form of participant observations at a school safety symposium and a gun reform activism event. Content and critical discourse analyses were employed to assess 728 news media articles, 286 letters to the editor, comments from 32 YouTube videos, 14 policy documents and 10 public opinion polls. My original contribution to knowledge is the examination of policies that have not received much scholarly attention to date: emergency management plans, training, operation and communications to deal with the possibility of a school shooting incident occurring; the 'concealed carry on campus' movement, where students lobby to carry firearms in higher education institutions as a way to negate potential threats. Relatively uncharted territory in fear of crime research was embarked upon with an examination of YouTube comments relating to: concerns about attending school; insecurities about the ability of law enforcement to offer protection in a school shooting scenario. To offer a predictive angle to the research, the current public sentiments, framing strategies being utilised by interest groups, and Supreme Court rulings shaping the future of gun reform were debated. Further avenues for school shooting research are provided. Details: Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2014. 295p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 10, 2018 at: http://theses.gla.ac.uk/5298/1/2014doranphd.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://theses.gla.ac.uk/5298/1/2014doranphd.pdf Shelf Number: 150145 Keywords: Concealed CarryGun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceMass MediaMass ShootingsSchool SecuritySchool Shootings |
Author: Silver, James Title: A Study of the Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States Between 2000 and 2013 Summary: In 2017 there were 30 separate active shootings in the United States, the largest number ever recorded by the FBI during a one-year period. With so many attacks occurring, it can become easy to believe that nothing can stop an active shooter determined to commit violence. "The offender just snapped" and "There's no way that anyone could have seen this coming" are common reactions that can fuel a collective sense of a "new normal," one punctuated by a sense of hopelessness and helplessness. Faced with so many tragedies, society routinely wrestles with a fundamental question: can anything be done to prevent attacks on our loved ones, our children, our schools, our churches, concerts, and communities? There is cause for hope because there is something that can be done. In the weeks and months before an attack, many active shooters engage in behaviors that may signal impending violence. While some of these behaviors are intentionally concealed, others are observable and - if recognized and reported - may lead to a disruption prior to an attack. Unfortunately, well-meaning bystanders (often friends and family members of the active shooter) may struggle to appropriately categorize the observed behavior as malevolent. They may even resist taking action to report for fear of erroneously labeling a friend or family member as a potential killer. Once reported to law enforcement, those in authority may also struggle to decide how best to assess and intervene, particularly if no crime has yet been committed. By articulating the concrete, observable pre-attack behaviors of many active shooters, the FBI hopes to make these warning signs more visible and easily identifiable. This information is intended to be used not only by law enforcement officials, mental health care practitioners, and threat assessment professionals, but also by parents, friends, teachers, employers and anyone who suspects that a person is moving towards violence. In 2014, the FBI published a report titled A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013. One hundred and sixty active shooter incidents in the United States occurring between 2000 and 2013 were included in the sample. In this first report, the FBI focused on the circumstances of the active shooting events (e.g., location, duration, and resolution) but did not attempt to identify the motive driving the offender, nor did it highlight observable pre-attack behaviors demonstrated by the offender. The 2014 report will be referred to as the "Phase I" study. The present study ("Phase II") is the natural second phase of that initiative, moving from an examination of the parameters of the shooting events to assessing the pre-attack behaviors of the shooters themselves. This second phase, then, turns from the vitally important inquiry of "what happened during and after the shooting" to the pressing questions of "how do the active shooters behave before the attack?" and, if it can be determined, "why did they attack?" The FBI's objective here was to examine specific behaviors that may precede an attack and which might be useful in identifying, assessing, and managing those who may be on a pathway to deadly violence. Details: Washington, DC; U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2018. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 21, 2018 at: https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/pre-attack-behaviors-of-active-shooters-in-us-2000-2013.pdf/view Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/pre-attack-behaviors-of-active-shooters-in-us-2000-2013.pdf/view Shelf Number: 150624 Keywords: Active ShootersGun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceGunsHomicidesMass ShootingsThreat AssessmentViolent OffendersWeapons |
Author: System Planning Corporation, TriData Division Title: Mass Shootings at Virginia Tech: Addendum to the Report of the Review Panel Summary: On April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech experienced one of the most horrific events in American university history - a double homicide followed by a mass shooting that left 32 students and faculty killed, with many others injured, and many more scarred psychologically. Families of the slain and injured as well as the university community have suffered terribly. Immediately after the incident Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine created a blue ribbon Review Panel, referred to as the Virginia Tech Review Panel, which consisted of nine members selected for their expertise in the areas that were to be investigated. The Review Panel’s mission was to assess the events leading to the shooting and how the incident was handled by the university and public safety agencies. Mental health services and privacy laws were examined as well. The Review Panel was to make recommendations that would help college campuses prevent or mitigate such incidents in the future. The Report of the Review Panel was presented to the Governor in late August 2007. It is referred to as the "Report" in this Addendum. SCOPE OF THIS REPORT: ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS In the two years since the Review Panel's report was published, additional information has been placed in the public record, including Seung Hui Cho's case file from the Cook Counseling Center and a recent report from the Commonwealth's Inspector General concerning the Cook Counseling Center's handling of Cho's records. Briefings to the victims' families by police and Virginia Tech officials provided additional details of the events In light of the new information presented to the families, and other information they found in the April 16 archive, several family members requested that additions and corrections be made to the Report. Some families had personal knowledge of the events that were not previously shared. Some families requested new interpretations of certain findings or revisions to some of the Review Panel's recommendations in light of the new information. Virginia Tech officials also submitted comments requesting some corrections. Governor Kaine asked the victims' families and Virginia Tech to submit any corrections or additions they thought important by the end of August, 2009. The time was extended into September after discovery of Cho's missing Cook Counseling Center records. This Addendum responds to the comments and questions received from the families and Virginia Tech by correcting facts in the original report, including the timeline, and by adding additional information about the events leading to the incidents, the response to the incidents, and the aftermath of April 16. The Addendum also includes corrections to names and titles of people cited in the Report or the list of interviewees. The Addendum does not address opinions or value judgments that were raised, but provides some additional background information that might help address the concerns raised. Details: Arlington, VA: System Planning Corporation, 2009. 210p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 27, 2018 at: https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/prevail/docs/April16ReportRev20091204.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/prevail/docs/April16ReportRev20091204.pdf Shelf Number: 150720 Keywords: Campus Crime Campus Violence Gun Violence Gun-Related Violence Homicides Mass Shootings |
Author: Schildkraut, Jaclyn V. Title: Can Mass Shootings be Stopped? Summary: The mass shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, happened nearly two decades ago, yet it remains etched in the national consciousness. Columbine spurred a national debate - from personal safety to the security of schools, workplaces, and other locations and to broader considerations of guns and mental illness. To this day, communities still are grappling to find solutions to the complex and multifaceted nature of mass shootings. Exacerbating this already complex issue is the prevalence of social media and neverending wall-to-wall media coverage. Mass shootings, and those that are particularly lethal, are amplified by the news cycle, making them appear more commonplace when they are, in fact, statistically rare. Despite their episodic and highly sensational nature, however, not all mass shootings garner the same attention by the media. Those shootings that are the most lethal may receive more coverage, while those events that are perceived as more "routine" by the media may not even be covered at all. As a result of the intense and often unbalanced media coverage of mass shootings, members of the public may hold disproportional attitudes about the events themselves. Certain shootings, for example, may be perceived as indicators of a broader social problem, while others are considered to be isolated events. Still, the collective phenomenon of mass shootings has been found to produce a host of outcomes for the public, including fear of crime, a potential moral panic, and the general belief that these events are more prevalent than their actual occurrence. Like the public, policymakers also have struggled with how to respond to mass shootings. Most policies center on either further restricting or expanding rights related to gun ownership and carrying, with a lesser emphasis on mental health protocols, regulating violent media, or policies related to security practices. More often than not, in the immediate aftermath of a mass shooting, a flurry of bills are introduced, but few, if any, are ever enacted into legislation.4 Further compounding the issue is that the new laws that are passed, or even those that have been on the books for decades, often are not enforced, leading them to be ineffective at preventing the next mass shooting. Details: Albany: Rockefeller Institute of Government, 2018. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 16, 2018 at: http://rockinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/5-22-18-Mass-Shootings-Brief.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://rockinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/5-22-18-Mass-Shootings-Brief.pdf Shelf Number: 151138 Keywords: Gun ViolenceGun-Related ViolenceHomicidesMass Shootings |
Author: Lott, John R., Jr. Title: How a Botched Study Fooled the World About the U.S. Share of Mass Public Shootings: U.S. Rate is Lower than Global Average Summary: A paper on mass public shootings by Adam Lankford (2016) has received massive national and international media attention, getting coverage in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, plus hundreds of other news outlets spanning at least 35 different countries. Lankford's claim was that over the 47 years from 1966 to 2012, an enormous amount of the world’s mass public shooters -- 31% -- occurred in the United States. Lankford attributed this to America's gun ownership. Lankford claims to have "complete" data on such shooters in 171 countries. However, because he has neither identified the cases nor their location nor even a complete description on how he put the cases together, it is impossible to replicate his findings. It is particularly important that Lankford share his data because of the extreme difficulty in finding mass shooting cases in remote parts of the world going back to 1966. Lack of media coverage could easily lead to under-counting of foreign mass shootings, which would falsely lead to the conclusion that the U.S. has such a large share. Lankford's study reported that from 1966 to 2012, there were 90 public mass shooters in the United States and 202 in the rest of world. We find that Lankford’s data represent a gross undercount of foreign attacks. Our list contains 1,448 attacks and at least 3,081 shooters outside the United States over just the last 15 years of the period that Lankford examined. We find at least fifteen times more mass public shooters than Lankford in less than a third the number of years. Even when we use coding choices that are most charitable to Lankford, his 31 percent estimate of the US's share of world mass public shooters is cut by over 95 percent. By our count, the US makes up less than 1.43% of the mass public shooters, 2.11% of their murders, and 2.88% of their attacks. All these are much less than the US’s 4.6% share of the world population. Attacks in the US are not only less frequent than in other countries, they are also much less deadly on average. Given the massive U.S. and international media attention Lankford's work has received, and given the considerable impact his research has had on the debate, it is critical that this issue be resolved. His unwillingness to provide even the most basic information to other researchers raises real concerns about Lankford's motives. Details: Crime Prevention Research Center, 2018. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 31, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3238736 Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3238736 Shelf Number: 151317 Keywords: Gun ViolenceHomicidesMass HomicidesMass ShootingsTerrorism |
Author: Langman, Peter Title: Five Misconceptions About School Shootings Summary: School shootings are the subject of debate in the media and in communities across the United States, and there is much discussion about prevention and the root causes of such attacks. But what does research say about these tragic events and their perpetrators? Do all shooters fit a specific profile? And what meaningful steps can schools and communities take to reduce the likelihood of these events? In concise, clear language, this research brief, produced by the WestEd Justice and Prevention Research Center, describes and refutes five common misconceptions about school shootings and suggests an evidence-based strategy to reduce the probability of attacks. The authors conclude that schools and communities are better served when presented with a balanced perspective informed by the wealth of available research about perpetrators, their varying motivations, and pre-attack behaviors. Details: San Francisco: WestEd, 2018. 5p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2018 at: https://www.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/JPRC-Five-Misconceptions-Brief.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/JPRC-Five-Misconceptions-Brief.pdf Shelf Number: 152854 Keywords: Gun ViolenceMass ShootingsSchool ShootingsSchool Violence |
Author: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission Title: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission Initial Report Summary: Commission Responsibilities and Scope of Report The MSDHSPSA specified a number of specific considerations and topics that the Commission should address in its initial report to the Governor, Speaker of the House and Senate President. The following is a summary of the tasks as assigned by law. - Produce a timeline of the incident, incident response and all relevant events preceding the incident. - Review interactions between the perpetrator and governmental entities such as schools, law enforcement agencies, courts and social service agencies. - Identify failures to adequately communicate or coordinate regarding indicators of risk or possible threats and whether failures contributed to an inability to prevent deaths and injuries - Analyze incident response by local law enforcement agencies and school resource officers, including a review of existing policies and procedures for active assailant incidents at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. - Evaluate whether the incident response complied with the existing policies and procedures and how those existing policies and procedures compare to national best practices. -Evaluate whether failures in the policies and procedures, or execution of them, contributed to an inability to prevent deaths and injuries. - Provide recommendations for improvements for law enforcement and school resource officer response. - Provide recommendation for a ratio of school resource officers per school by school type along with a methodology for determining ratio, which must include school location, student population and school design. - Provide recommendations for improving communication and coordination of agencies that have knowledge of indicators of risk or possible threats of mass violence. - Provide recommendations for effectively using available state/local tools and resources for enhancing communication and coordination related to indicators of risk or possible threats. During the Commission's first meeting on April 24, 2018, the requirements of the law were discussed and grouped into specific topic areas. The Commission voted on a list of topic areas to be included in the initial report. They are as follows: - History of K-12 active assailant events - Nikolas Cruz background and timeline - Marjory Stoneman Douglas physical structure and security - Active assailant response- Broward schools and school board - Active assailant response Broward sheriff's office on campus response - Active assailant response- law enforcement officer response by Broward Sheriff's Office, Coral Springs Police Department and incident command response. - Other topics: social media, Florida mental health system, baker act, privacy laws and threat assessment and management. During the course of the Commission's investigation and subsequent Commission meetings, other topics were addressed and these topic areas were slightly modified and reorganized as presented in this report. Because of the urgency of this issue, the Commission's initial report was completed within a relatively short time-frame in relation to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. In many other similar incidents, such as Columbine High School and Sandy Hook Elementary shootings, post incident reports and evaluations were completed several years following the events. As a result, several ancillary investigations into the Marjory Stoneman Douglas massacre or parts of the incident were also in the process of being conducted at the same time the Commission was conducting its investigation. This Commission attempted to coordinate with the entities conducting the other investigations so as not to duplicate or interfere with the other investigations, but some of the final reports were not available to the Commission for the purposes of compiling this report. There were also several active legal cases regarding the incident, which impeded obtaining some relevant testimony, documents and other investigative materials. During the Commission's subsequent years, portions of this report may be amended to take into account new information not available at the time this report was prepared. Details: Florida: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, 2018. 407p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 18, 2018 at: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MSDHS/Meetings/2018/December-Meeting-Documents/Marjory-Stoneman-Douglas-High-School-Public-Draft1.aspx Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/safety/stoneman-douglas-safety-commission-findings/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=content&eid=350368269&bid=2329105 Shelf Number: 154071 Keywords: Active ShooterGun ViolenceLaw Enforcement ResponseMarjory Stoneman High School MassacreMass ShootingsMass ViolenceMental HealthSchool Resource OfficersSchool SafetySchool ShootingsThreat Assessment |
Author: Langman, Peter Title: A Comparison of Averted and Completed School Attacks from the Police Foundation Averted School Violence Database Summary: IN 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) provided funding to the Police Foundation to initiate the Averted School Violence (ASV) project. Through this project, the Police Foundation developed a database (Police Foundation 2018) to collect, analyze, and publish (in an online library [Police Foundation 2018b]) incidents of averted and completed acts of school violence that have occurred since the attack on Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, on April 20, 1999. The data are drawn from the public domain as well as from law enforcement, school officials, and others entering reports into the database. The database is intended to serve as a resource to law enforcement, schools, mental health professionals, and others involved in preventing school violence by sharing ways in which other school attacks across the country have been identified and prevented. In this report, 51 completed and 51 averted incidents of school violence, drawn from the ASV database, were analyzed to help further our understanding of averted and completed school attacks. The report also seeks to provide important lessons about how school violence can be prevented. Details: Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2019. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2019 at: https://www.policefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ASV-Comparison-of-Averted-and-Completed-School-Attacks_Final-Report-2019.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://www.policefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ASV-Comparison-of-Averted-and-Completed-School-Attacks_Final-Report-2019.pdf Shelf Number: 154514 Keywords: Averted School ViolenceGun ViolenceMass ShootingsSchool ShootingsSchool Violence |
Author: Finland. Ministry of Justice Title: Kauhajoki School Shooting on 23 September 2008 - Report of the Investigation Commission Summary: On 23 September 2008, a school shooting took place in Kauhajoki when a student in the local polytechnic entered his school, shot nine students in his study group, a teacher, and finally himself. The perpetrator carried fuel with him which he used to start several fires in the building. Of the students who were in the classroom when the incident took place, three survived, one of whom received a gunshot wound in the head. The psychosocial damage caused by the incident was considerable. An investigation commission was appointed to look into the incident and its background, as well as the activities of the authorities, other operators involved in the incident, and the media. The main results of the investigation are presented in the 28 conclusions and 9 recommendations included in the report. The purpose of the recommendations and the entire investigation process was to enhance general security by learning from the incident. The fact that the perpetrator ended up committing this act was the result of a long process involving many factors. He had been suffering from mental health problems for approximately ten years and his condition had taken a turn for the worse. Several factors were involved during the course of the perpetrator's life which contributed to his problems. With hindsight, it seems probable that the perpetrator would have benefited from being examined by a specialist in psychiatry. In the light of the information currently available, it is impossible to establish beyond any doubt why the young man's mental health problems were channelled into an admiration for school shootings and, eventually, led to him committing the deed, which was clearly modelled on earlier school shootings. The perpetrator used a self-loading or semi-automatic firearm, which was small-calibre but still capable of inflicting serious damage. The investigation commission recommends that firearms capable of firing multiple shots in a very short period of time be made illegal, and that only guns that do not allow the easy infliction of such carnage be available for hobby purposes. With respect to other types of firearms, the investigation commission recommends that a stricter licensing policy be implemented. A dissenting opinion on firearm recommendations has been recorded, however. To enhance the mental health care services available for young people, the committee also recommends that antidepressants not be prescribed for persons younger than 23 years of age without a thorough examination by a specialist doctor. Other recommendations presented in the report concern the enhancement of student health care, particularly mental health care; the enhancement of interaction between generations in educational institutions; comprehensive security planning in educational institutions; shared command responsibility between authorities in operational situations; cooperation between authorities in preventive work; and the coordination of psychosocial support. Details: Helsinki: The Author, 2010. 194p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 20-19 at: http://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/76234/omso_39_2010_kauhajoki_school_shooting_194_s.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Finland URL: http://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/76234/omso_39_2010_kauhajoki_school_shooting_194_s.pdf Shelf Number: 154539 Keywords: Gun ViolenceMass ShootingsSchool SecuritySchool ShootingsSchool Violence |
Author: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission Title: Initial Report Summary: School safety in Florida needs to be improved. We can do more and we can do a better job of ensuring the safety of students and staff on K-12 school campuses. Not all school security changes or enhancements have financial costs, and some only require the will of decision-makers to effect change and hold people responsible for implementing best practices. Safety and security accountability is lacking in schools, and that accountability is paramount for effective change if we expect a different result in the future than what occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSDHS) on February 14, 2018. Accountability starts at the top of every organization, and all leaders have an obligation to ensure not only that the law is followed, but that effective policies and best practices are implemented. Even after the MSDHS shooting and the implementation of new Florida law requiring certain safety measures, there remains non-compliance and a lack of urgency to enact basic safety principles in Florida's K-12 schools. All stakeholders-school districts, law enforcement, mental health providers, city and county governments, funding entities, etc. - should embrace the opportunity to change and make Florida schools the safest in the nation. There must be a sense of urgency-and there is not, across-the-board-in enhancing school safety. At its core, basic, effective school safety begins with prevention. Prevention strategies not only focus on target hardening, but include early intervention when youth demonstrate indicators that should be immediately and appropriately assessed and addressed. However, equally important are harm mitigation aspects of school safety, which can be divided into a few key components: identifying the threat at the earliest possible moment; notifying others of the threat; implementing an effective response by those vulnerable to the threat; and stopping the threat as soon as possible. These harm mitigation concepts should be immediately implemented across all Florida K-12 schools. There are more complex, proactive components to school safety that will help prevent violence from occurring, but once an attack has commenced, the focus must be on immediately mitigating the harm, and these basic concepts, as set forth in this report's recommendations, are essential to that goal. Details: Tallahassee: Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 2019. 458p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 15, 2019 at: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MSDHS/CommissionReport.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MSDHS/CommissionReport.pdf Shelf Number: 154628 Keywords: Gun ViolenceMass ShootingsMass ViolenceSchool SafetySchool SecuritySchool ShootingsSchool ViolenceThreat Assessment |