This short video discusses the benefits of our City wide collaboration between Norwalk Public Schools, First Responders, and other city services in responding to a serious school incident on April 10, 2014. Highlighted in the video are Norwalk Fire Chief (and Director of Emergency Management) Denis McCarthy and Deputy Chief David Wrinn discussing the All Hazard approach Norwalk is taking in regards to school preparedness (safety, security, and school climate). The Active Shooter Table Top Exercise focused on the three C's: Communication, Cooperation, and Collaboration. All 19 public schools with their School Incident Response Teams participated as well as Central Office's School Incident Support Team which is a coordinating entity to support the incident school(s) response, coordinate with Norwalk's Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and emplace the Recovery enablers as soon as possible. The Table Top Exercise is an invaluable education and training tool to help clarify for the participants the difference between enthusiasm and capability.
Points for Consideration Up Front: I am exposing the reader to this horrific story of an international school attack by terrorists because as educators it is important to be globally aware. What is the likelihood of terrorists attacking your school? Not probable, and certainly the threat is extremely low, but possible.
POTISKUM, Nigeria – On July 6, 2013, Islamic militants (allegedly from the Boko Haram sect) attacked
a boarding school (1,200 students) in Northeast Nigeria before dawn Saturday,
killing 29 students and one teacher. The gunmen are believed to be from the
Boko Haram sect whose name means "Western education is
sacrilege." Scores of schools have
been burned down in the past year in Northeast Nigeria. Some of the pupils were burned alive in the
latest school attack blamed on a radical terror group, survivors said. Parents
screamed in anguish as they tried to identify the charred and gunshot victims.
By Adamu Adamu and Michelle Faul, The Associated Press
Farmer Malam Abdullahi found the bodies of two of his sons,
a 10-year-old shot in the back as he apparently tried to run away, and a
12-year-old shot in the chest. "That's it, I'm taking my other boys out of
school," he told The Associated Press as he wept over the two corpses. He
said he had three younger children in a nearby school. "It's not
safe," he said. "The gunmen are attacking schools and there is no
protection for students despite all the soldiers." Survivors at the
Potiskum General Hospital and its mortuary said gunmen attacked Government
Secondary School in Mamudo village, 3 miles from Potiskum town at about 3 a.m.
Saturday.
They killed 29 students and an English teacher Mohammed
Musa, who was shot in the chest, according to another teacher, Ibrahim Abdu. "We
were sleeping when we heard gunshots. When I woke up, someone was pointing a
gun at me," said 15-year-old Musa Hassan. He put his arm up in defense,
and suffered a gunshot that blew off all four fingers on his right hand, the
one he uses to write with. He said the gunmen came armed with jerry cans of
fuel that they used to torch the school's administrative block and one of the
hostels. "They burned the children alive," he said, the horror
showing in his wide eyes.
He and teachers at the morgue said dozens of children from
the 1,200-student school escaped into the bush but have not been seen since. Some
bodies are so charred they could not be identified, so many parents do not know
if their children survived or died. Islamic militants from Boko Haram and
breakaway groups have killed more than 1,600 civilians in suicide bombings and
other attacks since 2010, according to an Associated Press count. President
Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency May 14, and deployed thousands
of troops to halt the insurgency, acknowledging that militants had taken
control of some towns and villages.
Bottom Line Up Front: This appears to have been a barricaded hostage situation at a school where the mentally deranged gunman was trying to commit "Suicide- By- Cop" by getting police to kill him. It WAS NOT an Active Shooter Situation (Newtown, Va. Tech, etc.) where a gunman comes in and starts shooting everyone. The gunman can be suicidal in either type situation and often are.
Incident: Law enforcement stated it could have been a massacre for the school, but ended with nobody hurt. Officials believe the gunman walked into the front office of the school Tuesday afternoon at about 1 p.m.with an AK-47, despite the school security system that requires visitors to be buzzed in. He may have followed behind someone who was authorized to be in the building, but never got past the front office.
Once he was inside, the gunman told the school secretary to call a local TV station. He told the TV station editor to "start filming as police die." "All the time of doing this, I never experienced anything like this," TV station editor said. "It didn't take long to know that this was serious." Inside the front office, he held one or two employees captive for a period of time. School bookkeeper Antoinette Tuff said she was one of the hostages. Tuff said she tried to convince the gunman to put down his guns.
She said the gunman told her he had no reason to live because nobody loved him. "And I just explained to him that I loved him," Tuff told ABC News. "I didn't know much about him. I didn't know his name but I did love him and it was scary because I knew at that moment he was ready to take my life along with his, and if I didn't say the right thing, then we all would be dead." Tuff also said the suspect told her he hadn't taken his medication. In an effort to calm him down, she told him about her own troubles: how her marriage fell apart and about her struggles with opening her own business. "I told him, 'OK, we all have situations in our lives," she said. "It was going to be OK. If I could recover, he could, too."
"I think we can all make a reasonable assumption he came here to do some harm." said law enforcement as Hill "did not have anything else in the bag that would harm people." Only one weapon was recovered. During the standoff, Tuff told the media the gunman "went outside several times and shot at police officers." Police Chief Alexander said the suspect fired about six rounds while officers from at least a half-dozen law enforcement agencies that raced from the school returned fire. After they had talked, she asked him to put his guns down and empty his backpack. Law Enforcement sung Antoinette Tuff's (school secretary / clerk) praises. "She was in there, she was able to talk him down," he said. "She's a real hero in all this."
Source of the Weapon: Authorities are looking to locate the owner of the AK-47, who they believe is an acquaintance of Hill's. Davis said officials believe Hill got the weapon from an acquaintance's house, although he wouldn't say whether the weapon was stolen or not. There was a photo of Hill holding a rifle, found on his cell phone. Hill told investigators he was on medication. "He indicated that he was on medication and had stopped taking it." Previous Violent Behaviours: Tim Hill, the brother of Michael Brandon Hill, said his brother previously threatened to shoot him and suffers from mental disorders and "was bipolar and suffered from ADD," and that the two have not spoken recently.
A Henry County sheriff's official said Hill was also charged in March with making terroristic threats for an incident between Dec. 30 and 31 of 2012. He "unlawfully threatened to commit the crime of murder, a crime of violence, for the purpose of terrorizing another." Tim Hill told the media the charge stemmed from Hill threatening to shoot him.
Michael Hill was issued a no-contact order afterwards. Court records show that Hill pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years' probation and anger counselling.
Present Violent Incident Charges: For this August 20th act of violence, Hill is charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, making terroristic threats and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was questioned for hours by police, but they have no clear idea of what may be a motive or whether Hill has ties to the school. Police chief Alexander said Hill "may have had prior contact" with someone at the school, but the investigation was still pending. No other individuals are expected to be charged.
Recovery Phase Initiated: Buses transported elementary school students from their school to nearby McNair High School on Wednesday to resume classes, a day after a potential massacre was averted. Students were greeted by counsellors and a sign that read, "Welcome McNair Elementary School. Our prayers are with you". Excerpts taken from Internet article By Elizabeth Chuck, Staff Writer, NBC News Discussion Points: Being mindful that the incident is new and the investigation is incomplete, here are some things to consider:
Hostage Situation vice Active Shooter Situation: The gunman talked instead of just shooting everyone. He was not (thank God) just trying to kill everyone he saw as fast as he could, or he was convinced otherwise.
Typical Suicide By Cop scenario, a mentally deranged individual with violent intent who is suicidal attempts "suicide-by-cop" by creating a situation where police end your life because of the imminent threat you pose. His request to a hostage to call the media & his statement to TV editor about "start filming as cops die".
Response in a Hostage Situation is different than in an Active Shooter Situation.
Hostage situation: if there is no safe escape and you are detained by a gunman, build rapport and empathy with hostage taker so they see you as a person. School Secretary did this and it saved lives.
Active Shooter: A Run - Hide - Fight (similar to ALICE) response is more appropriate if immediate mass shooting occurs.
School Access Control: Having single access point entrance (critical), a locked entrance (good), and a buzzer access control system (good) still requires a trained human being to make a deliberate decision EVERY TIME they buzz anyone in or not. Once a person is buzzed in there needs to be person-to-person (P2P) screening contact as a seemingly innocent person may now (once in the school) demonstrate threatening behaviour (take out a hidden weapon, display aggression, etc.) once inside the school. A nefarious individual may "tailgate" someone buzzed in so be careful.
The P2P screening contact allows the opportunity to alert others (activate 911, announce "lockdown") to trigger an immediate response and possibly mitigate the threat (using your judgement) to regain the initiative against someone planning to do harm. The secretary did this as well by talking to the gunman.
Societal Mechanism to Maintain Visibility of a Threatening Member of a Community. "See Something, Hear Something, Say Something" can help identify a threatening individual and in this instance his brother reported him in March (charges filed, arrest, three years probation and anger counselling, and medication). However who was tracking this and how could this have been prevented. What is the local areas threat assessment and threat tracking process, if any. How could this mentally deranged individual have been prevented from coming to the school to harm himself or others. This area is the critical vulnerability in preventing mass rampage shooters in our society.
Young Survivors of 2011 Norwegian Shooting Massacre (Click on the Above Link) to see some of the survivors... On July 22, 2011, a car bomb killed eight people at the executive government
building in Oslo, Norway. Shortly thereafter, Anders
Behring Breivik, responsible for the bombing in Oslo, opened fire at a
summer youth camp for members of the Labor Party on the isolated island of Utøya, Norway killing
69 (mostly young) people and wounding (209) many more; 500 people survived.
15 Year Old Norwegian Survivor
Comment: This was a psychopathic act of violence from a madman who was captured and is in jail. The survivors of these violence acts against these youth will result in recovery for many years, and more than likely the rest of their lives. Not to mention, the impact these incidents have had on their families, friends, and loved ones will need to recover as well. Our focus always has to be on PREVENTION of these tragedies, if you SEE SOMETHING, HEAR SOMETHING, YOU NEED TO SAY SOMETHING. If only someone in Anders Behring Breivik's life was concerned about his extremist beliefs and purchases of weapons & bomb making materials; or if someone had stumbled upon his violent cyber postings this perhaps could have been prevented...? From a Response standpoint, in the most extreme cases of rampage shootings knowing how to RUN, HIDE, and as a last resort FIGHT (Protect Yourself and Others). Unfortunately in today's world this is a LIFE SKILL that can make us all more resilient. It is about PREPARATION, not PARANOIA....
While it is understood there is no psychological profile for a school shooter, there are behavioral indicators.Katherine S. Newman (scholar and author of the book Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings) came up with Five Criteria to help identify a potential school shooter in her book. This work has exhaustive research and data which I am shocked has not been incorporated into the state and federal discussions on school safety in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The Five Criteria are:
1. Marginality: individual feels socially ostracized (real or perceived) and feels marginal (loner, bullied, harassed).
2. Individual Vulnerabilities: mental illness, family problems, depressed, suicidal, or a combination.
3. Cultural Scripts: change roles, manly exit, notoriety better than being ignored, send a message, fame, advertise threats but then committed to follow through or face more negative attention, escalating commitment, designs (plans) the rampage script.
4. Under The Radar: unrecognized change in academic or disciplinary history, downward changes in behavior, violent writings in school or social media, criminal history, threats, lack of parental awareness.
5. Access To Weapons: at home or relatives, purchase or borrow weapons, steal weapons, and some weapon experience.
In 2008, she was a keynote speaker at a Campus Safety Conference and her talk was filmed. This video is 52 minutes long where she touches the five criteria and upon three main questions:
1. What motivates these school rampage shooters?
2. Why didn't the school identify the behaviors of the shooter beforehand?
3. Why didn't the community identify the behaviors of the shooter beforehand?
This video is worth your time if you are an educator, law enforcement, or involved in school preparedness (safety & security). Especially interesting is how she talks about the societal aspects of school and community cultures that negate (by not reporting concerns) the prevention of many of these school shootings.
This reinforces my strong belief that promoting a "See Something, Hear Something, Read Something, Report Something" in our schools and communities is critical to prevention of school shootings.
This school had trained in lockdown drills and procedures.
Teachers and students knew what to do and they did it which lessened the
tragedy. Had the law enforcement first responders not arrived or were not activated by the 911 call, the shooter had hundreds of rounds and victims left. Their (school leadership, faculty, students, and law enforcement) preparedness saved lives.
The shooter may break into the facility or room even if
doors are locked. This speaks to the “Fight / Resist” to make it harder for
them to make a smooth entry into the building / room.
It appears as the adult(s) (Principal pictured above) fighting the shooter slowed the
shooter and bought time for others. If someone is going to kill you, don’t make
it easy for them. Inaction is not an option.
Some people heard “booms”, gunshots, or a confrontation over
the school announcement system. There
will be different ways of finding out there is an violent threat in the
building.
Teachers hiding, reassessing and improving their hide site for students was critical to saving lives.
Teachers kept students calm and due to their young age kept
them distracted and occupied.
The arrival of Law Enfocement in the rapid Active Shooter response is
believed to have influenced the shooter to kill himself as he had 100s of
rounds of ammo left and more potential victims.
(The sooner the Police show and close with the shooter, the sooner many shooters kill themselves similar to Columbine;
Nickel Mine,Pa; Va Tech, and now Newtown, CT.)
Sometimes Running (as a response) to get out of threat area
or as part of the directed evacuation is key. Responding Police clearing the
school directed many children to Run to the Firehouse.
You may have to evacuate students / people past a violent
(blood, bodies, etc.) crime scene.
School and First Responders had a known location for
evacuation and student reunification (the firehouse).
RECOVERY RELATED: Many of the recovery decisions are almost surreal after the fact so it is important to plan for them ahead of time, despite how distasteful the topics and decision points are. They won't get easier after an incident.
The school is a crime scene to be processed for days, maybe a week. Once cleared, then and only then can clean up and repair happen. Depending
on when this happens, how long do you close school for? When do you re-open?
It is more than just cleaning up the crime scene (bio-hazard
clean-up, repair damage & bullet holes). What parts of the building off
limits (library at Columbine, Kindergarten class at Sandy Hook, Norris Hall at
Va Tech etc.) and how does that effect classes and a return to normalcy.
Crisis Intervention and Counseling services for everyone,
ask for state and federal assistance. It is required immediately and will continue for years
to come.
Loss of key Personnel (the Principal and School
Psychologist, Teachers, Staff) calls for a rapid decision for replacing school
leadership and Subject matter personnel. The decision for the assumption of leadership in the
absence of others not being there, maybe temporary or permanent.
Coming back into school needs to be well thought
out and phased: Parents visit school, Parents and Students visit school,
Parents and students go to school and classes, Students go to school with some
Parents visiting.
Columbine HS planned it as “taking back our
school” and they excluded media due to the adversarial & invasive relationship
they had at that time.
THESE ARE A FEW INITIAL OBSERVATIONS MEANT FOR DISCUSSION AND REVIEW.
GOD BLESS ALL OF THE FAMILIES IN NEWTOWN, CT AS WELL AS THE FIRST RESPONDERS.
School Shootings...Workplace Shootings....Shootings in Public Places (Movie Theater, Mall) are all examples of the potential of violence occurring wherever you may be. While it is not probable, it is none-the-less possible - so you must be prepared. Teaching students and young adults the LIFE SKILL of how to mitigate the dangers of an active shooter situation is prudent. The past belief and practice of merely calling the police and hiding from a gunmen (lock-down mode) until police arrive is no longer the only consideration you make when developing a plan of action on how to react. Watch the video as it suggests to RUN from the danger if possible, HIDE if you have no option to run (with some self protective considerations), and if there is no escape and you perceive you are about to encounter an active shooter, than FIGHT to increase your chances of survival. Individually or in a group that swarms an attacker using improvised weapon (books, chairs, fire extinguishers, hot water or coffee, etc.) increases your chances vise remaining a passive target.
This video (RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. Surviving An Active Shooter) is a DHS sponsored product created by the City of Houston which demonstrated the evolution of citizen preparedness to a violent encounter created by an active shooter situation.
Be Prepared and Make Your Luck by training and conducting capabilities through drills.
An unfortunate tragedy occurred when
police responded to a Lockdown incident at CummingsMiddle School in South
Texas. The shooting happened during
first period at the school in Brownsville, a
city at Texas'
southern tip just across the Mexican border. Responding officers were required to shoot an eighth grade
student who was holding a weapon.
The fifteen year old student, Jaime Gonzalez, had assaulted a fellow
student and pulled a black pistol (see picture above) triggering the Lockdown response by school
authorities. Jaime had walked into a classroom and
punched a boy in the nose for no apparent reason. Police did not know why he
pulled out the weapon, but "we think it looks like this was a way to bring
attention to himself."Teachers
were notified over the school intercom that the school was on lockdown. They
locked classroom doors and turned off lights, and some frightened students dove
under their desks. They could hear police charge down the hallway. Students described
the panic they felt during the lockdown. Renee Almazon, 15, crouched with her
teacher and classmates away from all windows and doors. "We all moved to
the corner where they couldn't see us," she said. Her teacher kept telling
the class, "This is a real thing,"
A
recording of police radio traffic posted on TV website indicates that officers
responding to the school believed the teen had a handgun. An officer is heard
describing the teen's clothes and appearance, saying he's "holding a
handgun, black in color." The officer also said that from the front door,
he could see the boy in the school's main office. The student continued to brandish the weapon
while police arrived and police repeatedly instructed him to drop the weapon which he
failed to comply. The police were required to shoot him for their safety and
the safety of others. Officers shot the teen with
assault rifles, the interim police chief said. Unfortunately the boy
died and his weapon turned out to be a replica (see picture above) Glock pellet gun. About 20 minutes elapsed between police receiving a call
about an armed student and shots being fired, according to police and student
accounts. Authorities declined to share what the boy said before he was shot. Police
Chief Rodriguez said the teen was pointing the weapon at officers and "had
plenty of opportunities to lower the gun and listen to the officers' orders,
and he didn't want to." The chief said his officers had every right to do
what they did to protect themselves and other students even though there
weren't many others in the hallway at the time. Police said officers fired
three shots.
Parents Reaction: Jaime’s distraught parents demanded to know why police
took lethal action against their son. "Why was
so much excess force used on a minor?" the boy's father, Jaime Gonzalez
Sr., asked The Associated Press outside the family's home Wednesday night.
"Three shots. Why not one that would bring him down?"Then she flipped through three close-up
photos she took of bullet wounds in her son's body. "What happened was an
injustice," she said angrily. "I know that my son wasn't perfect, but
he was a great kid." Jaime had gunshot wounds on his shoulder and rib
cage, and one in the back of his head. "That's the shot that bothers me
the most," Jaime Gonzalez Sr. said to The Brownsville Herald.
The officers will be
placed on leave, a normal procedure in this type of event. Students, who were
bused to another high school after the incident to meet their parents,
Administrators said the school would be closed Thursday but students would be
able to attend classes at a new elementary school that isn't being used.
Superintendent Carl
Montoya remembered Gonzalez as "a very positive young man… Just something
unfortunately happened today that caused his behavior to go the way it went. So
I don't know," he said Wednesday. Gonzalez Sr. said he had no idea where
his son got the gun or why he brought it to school, adding: "We wouldn't
give him a gift like that."
The Associated Press and The Brownsville Herald
contributed to this report.
Points For Discussion:
While this is certainly a tragedy, if ANYONE in a school commits a violent act and then brandishes a weapon (real or a realistic replica) causing a LOCKDOWN which then triggers an emergency law enforcement response (active shooter or hostage situation), and that individual refuses to put the weapon down when directed by police, they will be shot, and if shot, they stand a good chance of being killed.
Many school shootings are over in the first few minutes before law enforcement arrives adding to the sense of urgency by law enforcement.
Where did the boy get the replica pellet gun from? Why did he bring it to school? Who else knew he had it?
If this young man brought the replica gun to school to get attention, he did, and the replica gun put his own life at risk, and his failure to comply with armed officers cost him his own life.
All students KNOW any weapon or something that looks like a weapon is FORBIDDEN to be brought into a school for this very reason.
When Law Enforcement tells you to do something requiring them to draw a baton, taser, or firearm, YOU DO IT. You can ask questions later, complain, or make a complaint if you feel justified, but YOU COMPLY, especially in an emergency.
After the fact, hindsight can appear to be 20/20 but unless YOU have ever responded in-extremis to a life threatening situation requiring the use of deadly force with even a rudimentary understanding of terminal ballistics, then you shouldn't second guess the police.
This shooting like all shootings will be professionally investigated and the results and actions will be reviewed and disseminated.
Final Comment: I feel sorry for the young loss of life (although understandable under these circumstances) and for the law enforcement professionals that were required to use deadly force because they faced a threat to the safety of the school community and their fellow officers. My prayers go out to his family and the law enforcement officials (and their families) who will bear the burden of what happened. God Bless.
Mohammed K. (a 17 yr old Pakistani born American high school senior in Ellicott City, Maryland) was secretly arrested by the FBI recently. Mohammed excelled in school, winning scholarships based on his creative-writing skills, and was accepted to JohnsHopkinsUniversity. The under-aged Mohammed K was arrested for allegedly conspiring (since the age of 15) with the 48 yr old woman (Colleen LaRose) from the Philadelphia suburbs known as Jihad Jane. (Jihad Jane is charged with conspiracy to support terrorists and to plan to kill a foreign citizen.) The LaRose indictment does not cite Mohammed by name, but uses a code name to allege that he helped her raise money and recruit others for a jihad. According to another court document, LaRose sent Mohammed her boyfriend's U.S. passport, which she had stolen for the jihad plot. Mohammed hid it at school. Mohammed K also spoke in a jihadist chat room of a Columbine-style plot with a Pittsburgh-area friend (Emerson Begolly) a former Neo-Nazi turned Jihadist Pennsylvania college student.
"I had a lot of thoughts about you today," the teen, Mohammed K., wrote to his Western Pennsylvania pen pal (Emerson Begolly) late last year. "About us both doing martyrdom operations together in my school. . . . It was like we both were in a big truck and had guns and we were shooting randomly at a huge crowd of kids." The chats provide new insight into a boy who at age 15 allegedly began helping Colleen LaRose, the 48-year-old "Jihad Jane" from Pennsburg, who U.S. officials say represents a disturbing new face of homegrown terrorism.
Mohammed's chat room friend was Emerson Begolly, a PennsylvaniaStateUniversity student who was soon charged with soliciting unrelated terror attacks. Transcripts of the chats were publicly filed in that case. During the Nov. 22 chat, Mohammed told Begolly he lived near National Security Agency headquarters in Fort Meade, Md."The place where I live is a HOTBED of NSA and all the security agencies of Amrika [sic]," Mohammed wrote. "And the kids who study in my school proudly state that their parents work in NSA and FBI, and even carry key chains - piss me off." "Like Columbine?" Begolly asked. "Na'am, lol" Mohammed wrote, using the Arabic word for "yes" and Internet slang for "laughing out loud." Online, Begolly and Mohammed also discussed taking hostages and how to use weapons and bulletproof vests. They also wrote dark poetry. At one point, Mohammed cited advice from the Al-Qaeda magazine Inspire. "We should strike the snake at its head." At another, he hesitated when asked whether he was prepared to strike immediately. "I wouldn't get too excited. I think practice comes first."
Points for Consideration:
This is another successful example of the US interagency Counterterrorism Network (US intelligence / Law enforcement / Military) at work and keeping us safe and secure.
This is the classic mix of global Islamic extremists leveraging Web 2.0 technology (jihadist chat rooms, Al Qaeda Inspire magazine, etc.) to virtually "chum" for wanna-be / not-so-bright terrorists and radicalize smart but impressionable young people to do their nefarious bidding.
Terrorist operations evolve from Planning to Preparation, and then to Execution. Whether they are successful or not, it generates media attention which generates fear (the enduring goal of terrorism) which helps the cause.
Those arrested, killed, or blown up are celebrated as being holy warriors (jihadists) and they become Muslim extremist role models for future extremists.
John Gidurik (author of Terror at Beslan) warned that terrorist attacks at American schools are a matter of WHEN, not IF. While these two chat room jihadists were not a band of Chechen (Muslim) Terrorists like in Beslan, Russia; had they went on a rampage in a US school with a few others... it would undoubtedly be repeated.
Many of the ingredients were there as they were in the Planning stages (course of action development) and they knew they needed to "practice" (Preparation phase).
While it appears Al Qaeda's ability to plan big strategic level attacks have been frustrated by the US interagency, their mission-type orders (go forth & kill western infidels) to Muslim extremists and low cost Web 2.0 resourcing (Internet, AQ Inspire magazine has a lot of "how-to" information) gives them a great return on their investment (ROI).
Had a AQ mid-level manager monitoring a jihadist chat rooms found out that a smart impressionable jihadist American student was considering shooting up his school which was full of students whose parents worked at the National Security Agency (NSA: Signal Intelligence folks), how hard would it have been to exploit or resource a terrorist attack against that American school...connect those dots...very possible.
Islamic Radicalization of select / disenfranchised members of our citizenry could turn into a strategic critical vulnerability if we are not aware of the foreign and domestic threat to do so and we do not prepare.
SEE (OR HEAR) SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING SAVES LIVES
Aug 6, 2011: Fellow students heard about a plan by some students to attack their high school on the first day of school. School and Law Enforcement authorities collaborated to ensure a school attack planned by three students for the first day of school was foiled. The suburban school to be attacked was Lakeshore High School in Covington, Louisiana. Three 15 yr old teenagers formed a group called Day Zero and they planned an incredible and devastating attack on their school which also identified a specific student and teacher they would kill before firing indiscriminately targeting law enforcement specifically to obtain more weapons. They planned on ending the school attack with a group suicide.
Judging from the amount of material confiscated and the detail of the plans, Sheriff Strain said, the boys apparently had been planning the attack throughout the summer. He didn't know if the targets were chosen because of something that happened last school year. He would not say whether they already had guns or where they planned to get them, nor would he comment about a possible motive. But Bonnet said it wasn't race, because the arrested boys are of different races. Strain also didn't know whether Day Zero might have had more than three members, adding, "But from every shred of evidence we have collected and every shred of intelligence we have been able to garner, we don't believe there were any other participants" in the alleged plot. The boys turned themselves in this week. A bond hearing Monday will decide if they can leave the juvenile detention center.
Strain said extra deputies are always posted around schools on the first day of classes, and Monday will be "all of that and then some ... Steps most parents will readily notice, and steps that not even students will see." He quickly added of the enhanced security, "I don't want anyone to think this will happen one day and then it will be over." He wouldn't give details.
School Superintendent Folse said he did not know how many students reported the threat or how worried they were. "It alerted them enough to turn it over to authorities, with trust that the people they alerted would look into it and take it seriously." "I'm very proud of them for stepping up and doing the right thing," Folse said.
EVERYONE IN THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY MUST PROMOTE "SEE OR HEAR SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING" ...IT SAVES LIVES.
Shooter Down! The Dramatic , Untold Story of the Police Response to the Virginia Tech Massacre by John Giduck
This book is an exceptionally well researched book (452 pages) by the author (who has worked with US Special Forces and possesses a Law Degree and a Doctorate) who is able to look at this complex tragedy from many levels.
The book has nine chapters which discuss:
2 Previous School Shootings consisting of the shooter using obstacles and barricades to prevent police response to save the hostages
Sept 27, 2006: Platte Canyon HS in Bailey, Colorado
Oct 2, 2006: Amish Schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania
Background on the educational institution (Va Tech) and how it planned to handle an incident,
Evolution of the mass shooter (Seung-Hui Cho)
Early Morning Murder of Two Students in a Dorm and police response
Follow On Shooting Rampage on campus (Norris Hall)
Police and 1st Responder Response to the Mass Shooting
Ongoing Recovery (Police, School, Victims, etc.) from the Mass Shooting Incident
Post Incident Issues and Lessons Learned
2 Addendum's:
Tactical Review of the Law Enforcement (LE) Response to the Mass Shootings
Legal Review of Federal Legal Standards for LE in US.
Final Comment: The "silver lining" in these tragedies are the lessons learned from them so that they can be applied to ideally prevent and worst case to more effectively respond and recover from a school violence incident. This book is designed for law enforcement, school administration and teachers, and parents so that we can all protect our societies most innocent, our children.
The NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau released a document pertaining to the Active Shooter phenomenon titled: NYPD Active Shooter Recommendations and Analysis for Risk Mitigation. (If you have difficulty with the link, just Google search the title). It is a PDF file document that has four parts and an Appendix.
Part I - Introduction
Part II - Recommendations
Part III - Analysis
Part IV - Analytic Methodology
Appendix - a compendium of a variety of 281 active shooter incidents in a variety of locations ; office, commercial business, factory . warehouse, SCHOOLS, and other locations.
THE SCHOOL ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENTS START ON PAGE 78 OF THE DOCUMENT.
Twelve years ago the shocking school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado took place and stunned our nation. How could this happen? Why would two students become mass murderers in their own school? Why wasn't this prevented? Why wasn't the response more effective? Despite how much this school shooting has been talked about, studied, and discussed; how prepared is your school?
I strongly recommend you read Dave Cullen's book, COLUMBINE which he wrote after ten years of research. It is the consummate case study of what occurred on that fateful day and will help you determine how your school can answer the above challenging questions.
VA TECH FINED FOR VIOLATING FEDERAL LAW REQUIRING TIMELY NOTIFICATION OF A THREAT TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
US Department of Education fined Virginia Tech University for their failure to notify their school community about a potentially ongoing threat to campus safety. On April 16, 2007, when they failed to alert the campus after the discovery of two murdered students at 7:30 am. The 911 call occurred at 7:15 am and the police (Va Tech PD & Blacksburg PD) confirmed the murdered students in a dormitory. Classes start at 8:00 am daily. At 8:52 am, the University President (Stenger) had his office put into a lockdown and off campus PD (Blacksburg PD) placed their public schools into lockdown. Between, 9:05 and 9:15 am the shooter (Seung-Hui Cho) walked into Norton Hall and chained the doors shut. It wasn't until 9:26 am that President Stenger chose to notify the campus by sending out an email to campus staff, faculty, and students about a shooting incident in a dormitory (concerning the 2 murdered students). The campus was not placed in a lockdown nor told that a potential threat and gunmen still existed because they made an assumption that the 7:15 murder was an isolated incident. (In a crisis situation you can never assume away the potential or realization of a threat) At 9:42 am Cho's Norris Hall shooting rampage started and lasted 9 minutes and at the end of the day 33 people were killed.
Points for Consideration:
Analyzing past and more recent school shootings is key for school leaders and communities to determine how to best prevent, mitigate, respond, and recover from a horrific act of violence.
If the potential for violence, (let alone if a violent act has occurred) you must make decisions based upon worst case scenario and err on the side of caution.
President Stenger (ready or not, prepared or not, trained or not) waited entirely too long to put the campus into a lockdown. Two hours after a confirmed double murder on campus did not result in a campus lockdown even after two hours...? Unacceptable.
Educational Leaders (Superintendents, University and College Presidents, Principals) need to ensure they have thought through and "done their homework" to prepare for all hazards, especially acts of violence.
School Leaders will have to make decisions in a crisis with incomplete information, and if an assumption is made it is in preparing and responding to a worst case scenario vice HOPING everything will work out OR encounter the "paralysis of analysis: by trying to come up with the perfect decision vice a good enough decision that protects LIVES first.
School Leaders need to take educate, train, and exercise their organizations and themselves to make good decisions.
Taking free online courses from FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI) on:
Courses on: Emergency Management Planning for Schools, Emergency Management Planning for Universities, Active Shooter Response, Workplace Violence, and Incident Command Posts
On March 29, 2011 in Thomaston, CT a mother was arrested and charge with second degree breach of peace. (She will appear in court next month to determine if she is guilty of these charges / allegations). This mom came to Thomaston High School and (as reported in the news) went on a profanity-laced tirade. The school administrators called the police because they felt this parent who came to the high school at 8: 00am to talk about her daughter had become unruly. During the discussion, the mother became belligerent and was raising her voice in the office using profanity, and started throwing papers around. She was asked to leave and she refused. She then departed the school before the police arrived as the Principal escorted her from the building. She continued to yell and curse in the hallway and foyer during her departure as students and other school visitors witnessed. The mother turned herself in once she found out there was a warrant issued for her arrest, she was released with a promise to appear in court later next month.
POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION:
Parents, students, teachers, and administrators are a "team" that needs to cooperate and collaborate to ensure that everyone's best efforts and student learning results are achieved.
Like any team, each team member can have good days and bad days, possess different levels of understanding of what is appropriate and acceptable, as well as opinions on how a particular situation should be resolved.
School administrators and teachers always want to be available for parents and guardians that have concerns about students. However, that is not always possible or the best course of action should the parent / guardian show up IRATE and unannounced.
A parent can certainly come to school unscheduled and unannounced, but they need to know that unless it is a dire emergency (student safety or security related), they may be expected to wait and sometimes perhaps for a long time.
Teachers have classes to teach and extra duties to perform AND school administrators
Other parents and guardians have scheduled meetings (progress review, PPT, etc.) with teachers & administrators
If a parent is irate and shows up unannounced, school administrators and teachers may not know what the problem is so it is imperative for a school representative to try and find out the nature of the parent / guardians concern. This screening allows the school to be able to properly and accurately respond to the parent's concerns and issues
The situation may even require a period of time for the school leadership to investigate or gather information about the irate parent's concerns. Accurately defining an issue, problem, or concern is critical to solving it vice responding to a perception of what might be going on.
Many teachers, guidance counselors, or school administrators are parents themselves so they are aware of the emotional concern for their own children and how intense those emotions can become in situations where a son or daughter's academic performance or school behavior is below their acceptable standards.
Acknowledging a parents frustration and the school's earnest desire to satisfy the parents concerns is critical to determine a "win /win" mutually beneficial end result.
Letting a parent know that if a mistake was made by the school that it will be rectified once the school leadership is aware of the specifics and can determine the best response.
On some occasions a parent or guardian may come with other family members or unknown persons. You need to clarify who is who and discreetly verify the person you are dealing with is in fact the parent or guardian. Non parent / guardian members showing up at an impromptu meeting you are responding to requires discretion.
If parents / guardians become irate where civility, safety, or security comes into question, then the school needs to have certain protocols to ensure professionalism and safety in the school environment.
School Protocols such as:
Raised Voices = a response of a tactful warning requesting the parent to please lower their voice or we will have to reschedule this meeting at a later date when all parties are calmer. If they do not comply you need to terminate the meeting and ask them to leave politely.
Profanity or Insulting Comments = a response for terminating this meeting until the discourse is more civil. Prompting a fellow school official to make the School Resource Officer (SRO) aware, visible, or join the meeting is always prudent.
If you anticipate or interpret a developing negative situation and there is no SRO, calling the police to have an officer available is key to controlling a situation.
Any Aggressive Action (invading someone's personal space, throwing paper, slamming a door, getting up aggressively from a chair causing it to fall, etc.) = a response for terminating the meeting and requesting the irate parent to leave the school premises, if they do not comply contact the police immediately.
Any Evidence of Unstable Behavior or Alcohol / Substance Abuse Use = contact SRO, if necessary the police. Notify them the meeting will be rescheduled and they will need to leave the school as there are other scheduled meetings you must attend.
Violent Actionor Threats = contact SRO, 911, and possibly consider putting the school into a lockdown if there is concern about violent acts continuing within the school. Ensure 911 knows the nature of the situation so they don't misinterpret a hostile parent with an active shooter situation.
Ensure everything said or done is documented (statements written) to include viewing security camera tapes.
School security and access control personnel should be made aware of any disgruntled persons removed from school, so they are not allowed back into the building.
Final Comment: The school leadership and all of the members of the school community are human beings as well, with personal feelings. It is imperative to always try to professionalize and stabilize every situation. The school should always seek to maintain the moral and professional high ground if a parent or guardian unfortunately loses control in what they say or how they act. Student and Staff Safety and Security are paramount.
On Feb 2, 2011, a janitor fatally shot an elementary school principal in Placerville, Calif.The shooting occurred at about 10:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) in the principal's office at Schnell Elementary School. The janitor, identified as John Luebbers, 43, fled the scene on foot to his home, where he was arrested. Principal Sam LaCara, 50, died at Marshall Hospital from a single gunshot wound to the torso. The motive for the shooting remained unclear but the two apparently had a dispute. Some parents described Luebbers as "grumpy" and "rude" toward some students.
Janitor John Leubbers
No one else was hurt or threatened with violence in the incident, but the shooting prompted a security lockdown at the school that lasted for at least two hours. Buses eventually arrived at the school to transport students to the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, where they will be reunited with parents.
Parents said LaCara did a good job at the school. LaCara was the married father of three daughters and a respected school administrator known for his sense of humor and love of sports. He lived near Carmichael. "It's a tragedy for Placerville and our entire society," said at an afternoon news conference. The El Dorado County office of Education said Thursday classes at all three Placerville district schools are canceled.
Points for Consideration:
Workplace violence between adults or between adults and students is a reality. Not all violence that takes place at schools is between students.
In times of budget cuts and job layoffs, sometime educational leaders can be put in situations where they have to eliminate positions, programs, or terminate personnel because of poor performance.
Employers who have to terminate employees need to plan for worst case scenario because an untrained individual reacting to an emotionally distraught individual or an irate and potentially violent individual can easily lose control of the situation.
Having the School Resource Officer or School Security aware of the termination meeting is a prudent measure.
Employees can be experiencing stress in their lives or be in crisis, and educational leaders and co-workers may not be aware of this or the volatility that can occur. There is such a focus on the right of privacy that folks forget about public safety or workplace safety.
How do school administrators become aware of employees who may have a mental disorder or who may be developing one?
In reduced budgetary times, educational leaders are often having to task employees to do more with less help or resources. This can generate stress in the workforce and must be a consideration in managing organizational morale.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT TAKES CLASSROOM HOSTAGE, FIRES SHOTS, KILLS HIMSELF
Nov 29, 2010 Marinette, Wisconsin. A 15 yr old student (Sam Hengel) from Marinette High School went on a bathroom break during his 6th period social studies class. He retrieved a backpack from his locker with 2 semi-automatic pistols, 200 rounds of ammunition, and a pair of knives. He entered the classroom and held 23 classmates and his teacher (Valerie Burd) hostage. He immediately fired three shots, blasting a hole in a wall and tearing apart a film projector. No one else in the school apparently recognized the sound of the shots as gunfire.
Students talked to Sam Hengel about everything from hunting and fishing to his favorite movies in an attempt to keep him calm. Hengel told the teacher to post a note on the door telling seventh-period students to report to the library. As a result, no one realized the class was in danger until about a half-hour after school ended, when a man came to the school office looking for his daughter. Principal Corry Lambie determined the last class the girl attended was Western Civilization and went to the room to find the door locked. When Lambie unlocked the door, Hengel pointed his gun at him and told him to leave. Hengel allowed the girl to go with Lambie.
The standoff dragged on for four more hours, with teacher acting as a go-between for Hengel and police. A SWAT team stormed the room after Hengel fired three shots about 8 p.m., destroying the classroom phone and hitting a computer. Hengel shot himself as officers reached him. He died the next morning at 10:44 am. The hostages were released until 8 pm.
TIMELINE OF THE INCIDENT:
1:30 pm 6th period classes start. 26 students report to the Western Civilization class taught by Valerie Burd (Rm A111). Some time during 6th period, Sam Hengel requests to go to the restroom and returns with a duffel bag containing weapons. Holds classmates and teacher hostage.
2:10 pm transition to 7th period classes. Students reporting to Mrs. Burd's classroom see note on door instructing them to report to the library as previously planned.
3:12 pm The school day ends.
3:40 pm A parent who has been trying to reach his daughter to pick her up arrives at the high school office. Principal Lambie reviewed student daily attendance records to determine that the student was present at 6th period but not 7th. The same was true for a friend of that student.
3:45 pm Principal Lambie goes to Rm A111 and found the room dark with the door locked. He unlocked the door and entered the room. Sam Hengel pointed a weapon at him and told him to leave. The student whose father had come to the school left the room also.
3:48 pm Principal Lambie calls 9-1-1 to report the incident. The building was evacuated and Room A111 was isolated.
3:51 pm First law enforcement officer arrives on scene. Additional law enforcement and emergency medical continue to arrive.
7:40 pm Five (5) students are allowed to leave the classroom after requesting to use the restroom.
8:03 pm Gunshots are heard in the classroom and law enforcement personnel breach the door. The suspect shoots himself as authorities approach. Remaining students and the teacher are safely evacuated. During the night, an explosive detection canine conducts a safety sweep of the building and investigators collect evidence.
GUNMEN RANDOMLY OPENS FIRE AT A ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LUNCH RECESS, INJURES TWO STUDENTS BEFORE SUBDUED.
At approximately 12:15 local time during a school lunch break, Brendan O'Rourke, 41, dressed in dark clothing parked his car jumped a fence and walked onto Kelly Elementary School (Carlsbad, CA) campus carrying a .357 Magnum and a small gas can. He opened fire with five shots into a crowd of children on a playground at a Carlsbad elementary school Friday, leaving two female students (ages 6 & 7) with minor gunshot (grazed by the bullets) injuries. Teachers and students escaped into the nearby classrooms from outside including the two injured female students. They were transported via Mercy Air to a local hospital for treatment.
The assailant "sprayed" gunfire before apparently running out of ammunition and trying to flee. A nearby construction worker drove his vehicle and knocked the gunmen down as other nearby adults grabbed him. He was attempting to reload before he was stopped. There was a propane gas tank found in the gunman's car. At present it is not believed that the gunmen is associated with anyone at the school, making the school's selection as a random act of violence. The combination of the gas can the gunman carried coupled with the propane tank lead one to believe he had even more destructive intentions. (Note: The Columbine School shooting was actually designed as a propane bomb attack gone awry withthe attackers planning on shooting the survivors as they tried to escape.)
The school, located approximately 35 miles north of San Diego, was placed on lockdown until further notice as police gathered evidence. Parents of students were asked to meet at Laguna Rivera Park, which is a short distance from the school. Counselors will be at the school Monday to help students, staff and families "handle the anxiety and fear that can result from a traumatic experience."
Points for Consideration:
Unfortunately violence at school can occur at anytime whether it is pre-planned or random.
Developing a PREPAREDNESS Mindset is important. Think of school incidents not as IF whether something is going to happens butWHEN something happens .
Some questions to ponder:
What would you immediately do if you saw a suspicious person at your school or on school grounds? Demonstrating strange behavior (jumping a fence)?
What would you immediately do if you saw someone with a gun or a dangerous object ( a gas can)?
After an attacker was subdued what immediate actions would you take?
Does your school have a student reunification site at a remote location? Does the receiving remote location know they have been chosen as the site? Have you developed a plan and conducted a talk through /walk through between agencies? How will students be transported to that location? How will you maintain accountability during this process and when a parent asks "where is my child?"
Following an act of violence, the school (or surrounding area) is a crime scene until processed (hours, days) and cleared by law enforcement. You may not be able to go back into the building. Teacher's and driving student's car keys, purses, cell phones, jackets with wallets, etc. may not be available until the next day. If there was a bomb threat or incident may not be until much later....
If damage was done to the facility it needs to be repaired which is part of the recovery process. Who from the school or school district conducts this coordination and with what business? Identify these businesses ahead of time.
What children and staff saw what part of the incident? This is critical for determining potential witnesses and for on-scene and post-incident counseling.
WHY REACT, WHEN YOU CAN PLAN AND DRILL TO DEVELOP A CAPABILITY.....
