college of william & mary - jmu · analysis 84 active shooter incidents - police executive...

2019 College and University Auditors of Virginia Conference College of William & Mary

May 6th – 8th, 2019

ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATIONS

Deb Cheesebro, PhDAVP for Public Safety and Chief of Police

February 8, 2019

Deb Cheesebro, PhD. Associate Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police

Chair, Threat Assessment Team (12 of 14 years)

Chair, University Emergency Operations Center

Violence Prevention and Education Committee

University Risk Management Committee

Emergency Management Team

Facilities and Operations Leadership Forum

The Athletic Event Fan Behavior Committee

Coordinator, “Big House” Football Command Post

Over 20 years international consulting

NCIS Threat Assessment Training, Basic and Advanced Threat Assessment Training, Threat Assessment Interviewing for Law Enforcement

Special Event Planning and Crowd Management

Basic Active Shooter and Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response

Emergency Management ‐ Recovery of Operations and Mitigation of Risk, Emergency Operations Centers, Incident Management Teams, Incident Command System for Higher Education, and ICS 300‐800.

Served as planner and coordinator of experiential learning on active shooter – multiple tabletops and simulation drills.

Chief of Police/AVP, William & Mary

Chief of Police/Sr Director Police and Public Safety, UNCSA

Deputy Director Police and Public Safety, U of Michigan

ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATIONS

OVERVIEW

•Active shooter described•Nature of incidents•Higher Education•Mitigate Risk

An active shooter is one or more persons actively engaged

in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.

Analysis 84 Active Shooter Incidents -Police Executive Research Forum

Consider: Engage more than 1 target Expression of hatred or rageOften suicidal Detailed plans (pathway to violence)Chose familiar location, perhaps

positioned for tactical advantage

OVERVIEW OF NATIONAL INCIDENTS AND SHOOTERS

FBI Study Shows Mass Shooters Aren’t Loners Who Suddenly Just Snap Rampage killers plan,

give off warning signs—and mostly get their guns legally


• 15 of 250 incidents occurred in IHE (2000-2017)

• Shooters: 13 male/2 female, age 18-62, 5 former students, 5 current students, 2 employees, 1 Alum, 1 medical center patient, 1 non-affiliated

• Ended by: 5 apprehended by police at scene 7 committed suicide at scene 2 killed by police at the scene; and 1 fled scene, arrested at another location.


Risk Factors

• “Risk factors are existing realities about the person of concern that may increase the risk of violence he poses in a given situation. They are already in place at the time of assessment.”

WARNING BEHAVIORS (Pathway to Violence)

• “Unlike risk factors, warning behaviors are dynamic and represent changes in patterns of behavior that may be evidence of increasing or accelerating risk. When warning behaviors are evident, they require a threat management strategy and operational response. They are, for the most part, proximal behaviors, occurring more closely in time to a potential act of targeted violence.”

FBI report shows dip but still lots of active-shooter incidentsJorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Published 6:18 a.m. ET April 12, 2019

The number of active-shooter incidents in the U.S. decreased slightly lastyear. Then again, it would have been difficult to top the record-setting carnageof 2017.

A new FBI report based on 2018 data reveals there were 27 instances ofactive shooters – defined by the bureau as one or more persons trying to killothers with a firearm in a populated area – and they resulted in 85 deathsand 128 people getting injured, not all by gunfire.

Most deadly among those events was the Feb. 14 mass shooting at MarjoryStoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a teenager armedwith a semiautomatic rifle killed 17 students and staffers.While falling short of the bloodshed of 2017 – when 30 incidents led to 138deaths and 593 wounded, including 58 fatalities at the Route 91 HarvestFestival in Las Vegas – last year’s totals remained consistent with a troublingtrend.

A man walked into a Pittsburgh psychiatric hospital Thursday and began firing.

• Walked into a Pittsburgh psychiatric hospital with a pair of semi-automatic guns and began firing.

• Exhibited mental difficulties and bizarre behavior during the months prior to his shooting rampage.

• Injured 7 people and killed 1 other

• U of Pittsburgh police there in "a matter of minutes" and "engaged" gunman. Gunman killed self.

• "There is no doubt that their swift response saved lives today," said Mayor

• Students taking test when a rear door swung open. Former classmate burst through - one arm clamped around receptionist, the other clutching a pistol.

• Within moments he fired fatally wounding receptionist.

• He kept firing killing 7 people in all.

• Angry at school director who no longer worked there.

• Began shooting outside Miller Hall and entered.

• Anger at the world prompted him off his medications, scout the campus and return with a 12-gauge shotgun on the second-to-last day of classes, intent on killing as many people as he could.

• Killing 1 person and injuring 3 others

• Claims compelled by God, Satan and Lucifer to commit shooting on a university campus.

• Journal entries and statements to police about anger at those he claimed mistreated him, as well as his hatred of the world.

Aaron Ybarra sentenced to 112 years for deadly shooting at Seattle Pacific University

Gunman who shot 3 at Florida State University was former student, lawyer, law enforcement official says

• Former student

• Library shooting

• 3 wounded

• Shooter killed by police

• Opened fire inside Snyder Hall - was a student in the writing class

• Killing 9 and wounding 8 others before killing himself.

• Heavily armed and more guns were found at the apartment.

Students described scenes of carnage concentrated in a public speaking class that was underway in a college humanities building.

Retired President ‐ past severalmonths, college discussed hiringarmed security guard, but hadultimately decided against it.

“We talked about that over the lastyear because we were concernedabout safety on campus,”

We thought we were a very safecampus; having armed securityofficers might change the culture.”

Quick Look: 250 Active Shooter Incidents in the United States From 2000 to 2017 (FBI)

•Take actions and establish mechanisms to address and minimize risk

• Monitoring risks, actions, and needs for adjustments

• Estimate likelihood and potential impact

• Prioritize risks for treatment

• Identify risks and causes Identify

RiskAnalyze Risk

Treat Risks

Monitor and

Evaluate

Low Likelihood

HIGH IMPACT

Act to Mitigate

Human: death, injuryPsychological: trauma, feeling of safetyEconomic: property loss, revenue Functional: continuity of operations, disruption to core mission

Potential Impacts?

Estimate likelihood and potential impact

6%, likely affiliated

Prioritize for treatment

Need for Individual Facility Risk assessment? High occupancyEasy accessPublic profile

Known target, previous threatsPotential significant public impact

See National Fire Protection AssociationNFPA 3000

Two people were killed and anotherfour injured

Opened fire at the KennedyBuilding on last day of classes.

UNC Charlotte student charged with murder after opening fire on classroomMay 1, 2019

“He just started shooting," Field said.

Student Riley Howell could neither run nor hide. The gunman was in his classroom. So, the authorities said, he charged at the gunman, who had already fired several rounds, and pinned him down until police officers arrived.

Our Officers Saved Lives’: UNC‐Charlotte Police Chief Talks About Arresting Campus Gunman

University police Chief Jeffrey A. Baker described Terrell as "not somebody that is on our radar."

Take actions and establish mechanisms to address and

minimize risk

Fundamental Foundation

University Structure

Processes(Day‐to‐Day)

First Responders

Community Partners

Communication& Messaging

Test, Evaluate & Improve

Recovery




First Responders

Community Partners



Recovery

• Community: culture, caring, trust, leadership

• Education: faculty, staff, students

• Programming: Bystander/See something/say something

• Information/Intelligence Gathering: formal and informal

FUNDAMENTAL FOUNDATION




First Responders

Community Partners



Recovery

• Police, Security presence• EOP and other policies, plans• Mutual Aid Agreements• Operating procedures• Centralized, individual building responsibilities • Handbooks, Rules• Education and Violence Prevention• Threat Assessment Team• Risk Management Committee• Emergency Management Team

UNIVERSITY STRUCTURE




First Responders

Community Partners



Recovery

DAY-TO-DAY PROCESSES• Admissions• Counseling Center• Other mental health providers• “CARE TEAM”• DOSO conduct/medical leave• HR conduct/employee assistance• Police/Security• Compliance• University Counsel• Resource Allocations




First Responders

Community Partners



Recovery

FIRST RESPONDERS COMPETENCIES

• Security• Police• Communications Center• Fire/EMS

• Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training

• Level I, Exterior, Low‐Light• Level of medical training?• Dispatch protocols• Radio Interoperability• See NFPA 3000, Chapter 13, Competencies for Fire and EMS Responders

“There isn’t going to be a perfect solution. There’s not going to be a one‐size‐fits‐all policy. It’s going to come down to the officer on the scene being properly trained, and properly equipped, and taking a moment to make the decision and say, “This is what I think is appropriate in this situation,” and then being prepared to act.” J. Pete Blair, Texas State University.




First Responders

Community Partners



Recovery

FIRST RESPONDERS ON SCENESOME CONSIDERATIONS

• Neutralize the threat• Multi‐Jurisdictional• Unified Command• Perimeters/zones• Crime Scene• “Stop the Bleed”• Level of response, resource requests

• Emergency vehicle/ambulance routes

• Self/Civilian transports• Staging• Secure building(s), campus, takes hours

• Hands in the air• Look for other assailants




First Responders

Community Partners



Recovery

OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS

• Hospitals/Trauma Center designation/mass casualty partners and resources

• ID process for wounded/dead• Transport & assignment of patients• Process for family/emergency notifications

“Hospitals need to be involved in these planning efforts because they receive the victims,” Montes says. “They’re not necessarily in the same geographic area that first responders are used to thinking about, but they need to be protected and supported as a major part of the incident.”




First Responders

Community Partners



Recovery

OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS

• Family assistance center(s) – area, State

UNCC: Students were directed to 8600 University City Boulevard to be reunited with their families.




First Responders

Community Partners



Recovery

COMMUNICATIONS AND MESSAGING

• Emergency Notification system – pre‐scripted, multi‐modes• How often during an event?• Messaging decision‐maker?• Public & community need to know• Call Center• PIO – Joint Information Center• Media area• University spokesperson• Social media

ALERT: Shots reported near kennedy. Run, Hide, Fight. Secure yourself immediately.”




First Responders

Community Partners



Recovery

Test, Evaluate, ImproveTabletop Exercises

• Multi-jurisdiction • Set it up for progressive learning and

success

Partial and Full Scale Drills

• SAFETY FIRST• As realistic as you can,• ALWAYS announce publicly• Perimeter with buffer area• Set it up for progressive learning and

success




First Responders

Community Partners



Recovery

TEST, EVALUATE, IMPROVE

After-Action

• Hot Wash

• Solicit input from everyone

• Lessons learned

• Make changes

• Document changes made




First Responders

Community Partners



Recovery

RECOVERYPartial/full restoration of operations

Psychological trauma and healingo Counseling, employee assistance programs

o Honoring victims

o On‐going liaison with victims

o Venue re‐use?

Address individual problemsUse after‐action assessment & report for continuous improvementManage costs

Documents all actions

UNCC has postposed finals until Monday.

All students will have the opportunity to forego an exam and accept their current grade as final course grade

Dubois said graduation is in a little over a week and knows the university has to be “sensitive to the fact that it’s not an ordinary commencement.”

He said the school is determining how best to honor the shooting victims.

THANK YOU