School Shooting: A Look Back, A Look Ahead

• NCJ Number: 227523
• Journal: Law and Order Volume: 57 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2009 Pages: 56-60
• Author(s): Russ Schanlaub
• Date Published: June 2009
• Length: 5 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article summarizes research on the characteristics and methods of school shooters and the training of first responders to such shootings.

Abstract

Regarding a profile of juveniles who may be potential shooters, the research conducted under the Safe School Initiative (SSI) concluded that, there was no useful or accurate profile of students who engaged in targeted school violence. Dr. Dewey G. Cornell, in his research on violent juveniles, placed them into three categories: those who are psychotic or delusional, those with a long history of disruptive or delinquent behavior, and those with no history of violence who commit sudden violent acts. Regarding tactics of school shooters, statistics on campus shootings in recent history indicate that the shooters generally act alone, but that at least one other person knew about the pending shooting. Witnesses report various reasons for not coming forward with such knowledge, including fear of retaliation or not taking the shooter's threat seriously. In most cases, the shooter begins the rampage with the intent to kill at least one person directly and then as many others as possible. Shooters seldom have an escape plan; 90 percent kill themselves when they sense that their time to kill is nearing an end. Shooters generally have experience with and access to firearms, but have less than 50-percent accuracy in their shooting. Regarding the preparation of police for responding to school shootings, shooter-response training programs should be evaluated and updated as needed. The correct way to respond to the active shooter varies significantly by instructor or program developer. The concept of three-, four-, and five-officer teams are popular in many training programs. The following principles should be applied to any active-shooter training: be realistic; train often; begin at the academy level; vary the training; and include all responding agencies.