Active Shooter Part 1 of 3

A Campus Safety Campaign

In light of recent events, PC Campus Safety wants to remind everyone what to do in the event our campus is faced with such a tragedy, this is not to incite a panic but to educate and minimize casualties. The following presentation includes videos and weblinks, and other content regarding active shooters and violence. It is possible that something you read/watch during this presentation will trigger an emotional response, whether or not you have experienced an active shooter/assailant incident. Please seek help if needed and remember if you see something, say something

What is an Active Shooter/Assailant?

An Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.

Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims. Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.

It is crucial to determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life and the lives of others. In situations with such high stakes and high stress such as an active shooter crisis, people look to what others are doing. It takes one person to initiate a course of action and others (students, staff, and faculty members) are likely to follow the lead of those taking charge during an active shooter situation.

There are three-course of action to take when an active shooter is in your vicinity to maximize your chances of survival

RUN/HIDE/FIGHT

Run: If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises.

Hide: If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you

Fight: As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter

While most incidents involve the use of firearms, the term “active shooter/active assailant” may also apply to an individual armed with any other type of weapon and who poses an active threat of danger, death, great bodily harm, or injury to others.: (i.e. Baseball bat, Knives, Explosives, metal rods/tire irons)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Law enforcement’s purpose is to stop the active shooter/assailant as soon as possible. Officers will proceed directly to the area in which the last shots were heard.

Law Enforcement will deploy their I.A.R.D. - Immediate Action Rapid Deployment, which is used to confront aggressive criminals who pose an immediate and life-threatening threat to public safety. These include violent criminals armed with weapons of any sort or in possession of bombs or weapons of mass destruction.

Officers usually arrive in teams of four (4)
Officers may wear regular patrol uniforms or external bulletproof vests, Kevlar helmets, and other tactical equipment
Officers may be armed with rifles, shotguns, handguns
Officers may use pepper spray or tear gas to control the situation
Officers may shout commands, and may push individuals to the ground for their safety

When Confronted by law enforcement

Remain calm and follow the commands/instructions given
Put down any items in your hands
Immediately raise your hands and spread your fingers
Keep your hands visible at all times
Avoid making quick movements

Confronting these criminals is especially important when the crisis occurs in public spaces, public facilities or schools, or other venues with large populations.

If you see suspicious activity, let an authority know right away.
Porterville College and PC Campus Safety Department have plans in place to help you respond safely. Familiarize yourself with exit points, and evacuation areas in the event something like this happens.
Contact your Campus Safety and inquire about other resources, training, and presentations available that will assist you in maximizing your chances of survival in events like these.
Understand the plans for individuals with special needs and/or disabilities.

The shooter will not stop until his/her objectives have been met, unless engaged by law enforcement.
Consider the risk exposure created by opening the door.
Attempts to rescue people should only be made if that can be done without further endangering the persons inside a secured area.
The shooter may bang on the door and yell for help to entice you to open the door.
Remember the safety of the masses versus the safety of a few.
If there is any doubt to the safety of the individuals inside the room, the area needs to remain secured.

Preparing Now

To best prepare, your staff for an active shooter situation, create an Emergency Action Plan (EAP), and conduct training exercises. Together, the EAP and training exercises will prepare your staff to effectively respond and help minimize loss of life.

Create the EAP with input from several departments, including HR, Directors, Managers, Leads, local law enforcement and/or emergency responders.

Learn from the past

To facilitate effective planning for future emergencies, it is important to analyze past and recent active shooter situations and create an after-action report.

Active Shooter Facts and Statistics

Active Shooter Heat Map from 2000-2017

Active Shooter Incidents

FBI released a study on Active Shooter Incidents that from 2000-2013:

160 active shooter Incidents were recorded
An average of 11.4 incidents occurred annually
1,043 casualties killed and wounded (excluding the shooter/assailant)
Active shooter incidents have becoming more frequent—the study shows an increase of 6.4 incidents annually, while the last seven years show 16.4 incidents annually
All but six of the 160 incidents involved male shooters
Only two involved more than one shooter
More than half of the incidents ended on the shooter’s initiative (i.e., suicide, fleeing)
21 of these incidents ended after unarmed citizens successfully restrained the shooter
In 21 of 45 incidents where law enforcement had to engage the shooter to end the threat, nine officers were killed and 28 were wounded
The largest percentage of incidents, 45.6 percent (73 incidents) took place in a commercial environment, 24.3 percent (39 incidents) took place in an educational environment. The remaining incidents occurred at the other location types specified in the study—open spaces, military and other government properties, residential properties, houses of worship, and health care facilities.

In 2021 FBI recorded 61 Active Shooter Incidents that year alone.

In these incidents, 103 people were killed and 140 wounded, excluding the shooters. For the period 2017–2021, active shooter incident data reveals an upward trend. The number of active shooter incidents identified in 2021 represents a 52.5% increase from 2020 and a 96.8% increase from 2017.

Via: Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2021:

FBI Active Shooter 2021 vs 2020

27 shootings in K-12 schools in the first 145 days of 2022

With the recent incident in Uvalde, Texas at Robb Elementary School marks the 27th active shooter incident this year and the deadliest mass-casualty school shooting since Sandy Hook in 2012. Since the Columbine Shooting in 1999 336k+ students have experienced gun violence at a school (k-12 and college campuses). In 2020, guns became the leading cause of death of children, before then it was car accidents.

"For decades, auto accidents have been the leading cause of death among children..."

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/22/1094364930/firearms-leading-cause-of-death-in-children

"Overall firearm-related deaths increased 13.5% between 2019 and 2020, but such fatalities for those 1 to 19 years old jumped nearly 30%, according to a research..."

Sandy Hook Promise

A Campus Safety Campaign

Resources:

Active shooter/assailant incidents are often unpredictable and evolve quickly. In the midst of the chaos, anyone can play an integral role in mitigating the impacts of an active shooter incident. Porterville College and the Department of Campus Safety aim to enhance preparedness through a "whole community" approach by providing products, tools, and resources to help you prepare for and respond to an active shooter incident.

Created By

Leonardo Ezpinosa

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