Confronting the Reality of Active Shooter Threats in Schools

Active shooters continue to strike our schools successfully. Their meticulous plan is to kill as many innocent children as possible. On August 27, there was a shooting at the church next to Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. In addition to killing two young children, the shooter wounded 21 children and three elderly parishioners attending church services.

According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were at least 202 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2024 across the United States, resulting in 56 deaths and 147 injuries. Research into past school shootings demonstrates that these incidents are typically premeditated, with planning often occurring over periods ranging from several days to several years.

From Columbine to social media

Some individuals involved in subsequent incidents have demonstrated ongoing interest in the Columbine High School shooting, which occurred 26 years ago. A major difference between the time of the Columbine shooting and today is the presence of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Social media facilitates access to information about previous shootings and enables users to share posts regarding potential future incidents.

The shooters are looking for soft targets, especially schools that have minimum security or no security. They usually have some familiarity with the chosen location. They seek attention and notoriety and know that their life story and personal manifesto will be plastered all over the press so everyone will know their name.

Why risk assessments are critical

What are we missing? How are we going to protect our children from active shooter attacks?

School administrators should ensure they have a comprehensive safety and security plan in place. The plan should be a living document that is continually updated to meet the challenges of a particular school and campus. Utilizing external perspectives enables schools to identify security vulnerabilities that may be overlooked by individuals accustomed to the environment, thereby facilitating the implementation of more thorough and effective measures to mitigate active shooter threats.

This is an essential area that has not yet been addressed. Without conducting a comprehensive risk assessment, any solution applied may serve only as a temporary measure rather than resolving the underlying issue.

Through careful planning, it is possible for schools to develop a quality security crisis plan that meets campus needs without breaking the budget. Together with a school security expert, school administrators, their staff and local emergency responders can complete a thorough risk assessment to include an all-hazards approach of all their schools and campuses. An all-hazards risk assessment is a systematic process for identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing a broad range of potential threats — natural, man-made, accidental or malicious — that could affect the school and campus.

Risk assessments should begin with the surrounding community and neighborhoods by looking at the local crime analysis, including registered sex offenders, gangs, drugs, weapons and hazards in the community. Nearby banks, gas stations, stores, airports, trains, interstates or major highways all can have an impact on the security of a school campus.

Second, the risk assessment should focus on the school campus and grounds. Areas of focus should include ingress/egress points, signage, lighting, fencing, gates and parking areas. Ideally, observations should be made during the daytime and at night to get a full picture of the grounds of the campus.

Third, the assessment will focus on the school building itself. Areas of focus will include the interior doors, offices, classrooms, cafeterias, gymnasiums, auditoriums, restrooms, hallways and other areas. The assessment will note what security measures are already in place in the school building and where there can be improvements. The assessor should observe the school building both with and without students to get a clear sense of how the building is used and secured during the course of the school day.

Finally, the assessment will review the current safety policies and procedures the school has in place. At the very least, all schools should have emergency/crisis plans and lockdown procedures in place, ongoing staff training, and regular safety/security drills with emergency responders. Schools should also have their staff and students regularly practice responses to different emergency situations, e.g., active shooter.

Schools are soft targets, and their campuses are unique and have their own individual challenges, i.e., size, age, location, design or type of construction and other factors. The risk assessment pinpoints critical areas of vulnerability and will identify the school’s security strengths, as well as any security weaknesses. The whole process is designed to reduce incidents and try to anticipate any emergencies that might occur on campus.

Layered security and prevention strategies

Any plan will undoubtedly include security technology, but no single security implementation will protect a school; true protection comes from many layers of security protocols and ongoing intervention processes. It is imperative to test your communication and fire systems frequently: PA system, phones, radios, duress buttons, fire alarms and other devices.

Video surveillance cameras can create an added layer of security, giving school administrators and security officers a better idea of what is happening in and around their campus before, during, and after a crisis. Moreover, if the video is transmitted over a district network, it is possible to allow law enforcement personnel to view the cameras from their emergency command center and for the responding officers to view this from their vehicles.

Security screening systems can help spot guns, knives and other weapons at the entry points or other areas. The exterior school grounds need to be searched daily to locate prohibited items.

All schools need to have a permanent School Resource Officer (SRO) assigned and additional SROs as needed. They have been fully trained in how and when to use their weapons. The presence of school resource officers on campuses can significantly trim police response time during emergencies when every minute is critical. A police vehicle parked outside of the school can also serve as a strong deterrent.

It is also highly recommended that schools implement a closed-campus policy to deny unwanted individuals. All entry, exit and classroom doors should be locked throughout the day. If there is an early arrival of students before school starts, a designated door should be identified and monitored by a staff member.

It is imperative that school administrators, public officials and law enforcement take prompt action to prevent recurrence of such incidents in educational settings. Although political, gun control and mental health matters are important considerations, the primary responsibility of administrators is to implement effective physical security measures for schools and campuses to ensure a safe environment for both students and staff.