Because occurrences of school shootings are defined in a variety of manners, reported numbers vary based upon the source, but all data indicates that school shootings are on the rise in the United States and across the globe.
Newsweek pins the number at 142 between 2013 and October 2015 while the FBI has categorized 160 incidents between 2000 and 2013 as “active shooter events,” 24.4 percent of which took place in educational facilities.
The same FBI reportstates that police arrive to the active-shooter scene in an average three minutes but that civilian actions can help mitigate the impact. “Civilians need to be trained about what to do if one of these attacks occurs … Police departments and the communities they serve should work together to implement this training.”
Nowhere else is this training more important than in educational environments. These types of lessons – repeated over and over each school year – will perpetuate the message that a student should not only Run, Hide and Fight, but provide assistance as they are able to do so.
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“School shootings and other forms of school violence are not just a school's problem or a law enforcement problem. They involve schools, families, and the communities.”
THE SCHOOL SHOOTER: A Threat Assessment Perspective
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
