The Active Shooter Looking Glass

Feb. 20, 2009
From the first documented Active School Shooting incident in the late 1800s, to the most recent event, the community impact of the Active School Shooter is devastating.

The Active School Shooter has become a common theme in America's news headlines. Regardless of new tactics and training employed by law enforcement to combat this threat, the actions of the Active School Shooter paralyze communities. From the first documented Active School Shooting incident in the late 1800s, to the most recent event, the community impact of the Active School Shooter is devastating. History has demonstrated that each time an Active School shooting occurs, the casualties increase. These shooters are often novices in the field of combat. Armed with semi automatic weapons and rudimentary explosive devices, their casualties have reached as high as 32 dead and 17 injured in the Virginia Tech massacre. These are America's children turning on their own hometowns. What is the driving force of this action? Is it the ongoing de-synthesization caused by graphic video games, often referred to as killing simulators? The ever-increasing stress of life? Or the diminishing family unit? Regardless of the cause, these predators are amongst our communities. They target and thrive on the innocent. The comforting confines of our schools have become potential killing fields.

America has utilized history as our teacher. As a nation, we have adapted tactics to ensure that we do not become repeat victims of the same incident. Since September 11, 2001, no American will ever become passive and allow a hi-jacker to take control over a plane. Americans will stand up and fight, as did the heroes of United Flight 93. In response to the shoe bomber passengers must now take their shoes off before entering any secured point in an airport. We have been victimized and we have adapted. Or have we?

Now imagine if the Active School Shooter incidents that have plagued America were nothing more then dress rehearsals with the opening day pending. September 1, 2004, a small friendly town with a population of 30,000, where neighbors knew neighbors and families walked the street in bliss. It was the first day of school for their children, known in this community as the Day of Knowledge. Per tradition, the parents took their children to school with enthusiasm and pride. Minutes after the students entered the school this small remote town would gain international recognition. It would gain its notoriety as the largest school slaughter in world history. The town of Beslan, Russia would enter the pages of history. This slaughter was the result of 32, arguably, Chechyna terrorist. They controlled over 1,200 hostages. Their primary motive, withdraw of Russian troops from Chechyna. The results, 385 dead and 783 injured.

Many security analysts would have described Beslan as a soft target; a soft target being one that is easily accessed by an outsider. Beslan offered its occupants minimal defenses for a terrorist attack. The citizens of Beslan had only one first responder, the Soviet military. Unfortunately, their response, armed with good intentions, was unsuitable in many ways.

With the increased frequency of Active School Shootings in the United States, we have attempted to adapt our law enforcement response. The lessons of Columbine have taught the law enforcement community that traditional police response, such as hold the perimeter, wait for backup, and negotiate with the perpetrator can no longer be applied. Law enforcement agencies across the nation have developed a ready reaction plan to the Active School Shooter. However, why have we, as a nation, not developed a plan against the terrorist attacker that may infiltrate our schools? Perhaps Americans feel safer in the comfort of Denial; denial that anyone would harm our children; denial that we are not prepared to defend against the terrorist, who in Beslan were politically motivated; or just the traditional denial that it can never happen here. We live in a global information sharing society. Russia's Beslan nightmare cannot be ignored. Law enforcement, as well as educators, have been entrusted with an obligation, to protect America's greatest asset, its children.

America’s schools are not impervious to a Beslan like attack. Rather, because of our denial we are open to it. Consider the West Nickel Mines Amish school shooting. This sleepy town, with a census of 3,000, in Bart Township in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, awoke to an outlandish modern reality. An Active School Shooter that brutally murdered five girls, ages ranged from 6-13. Like the Amish, we as a nation are not prepared for a Beslan-like attack. It is this author's belief that the Beslan incident was nothing more then the training grounds for a similar attack on United States soil.

Beslan was the result of a politically motivated terrorist group. America is engaged in a war with religious fanatics. Their motivation is their interpretation of their religion. Religion is a much more persuasive motivator than political affiliation. August 11, 2006, an article published by the Boston Globe, authored by Graham Allision cited the following statement "We have the right to kill four million Americans - two million of them children - and to exile twice as many and wound and cripple hundreds of thousands to compensate for the Muslims killed by what Osama bin Laden called the 'Jewish-Christian crusaders'." Undoubtedly, this is the overall philosophy of America's terrorist enemies.

America must not ignore the lessons of history. We know that Al Qaeda typically launches five simultaneous strikes. Imagine if Al Qaeda maintained their philosophy and America was faced with five Beslan incidents in one day. The ramifications would be devastating.

Preparing for such an attack is our nation's obligation. We collectively, law enforcement and educators, must create plans to thwart such an attack. America cannot afford to live in the world of Denial. Rather, we should become proactive and utilize the looking glass to peer into the future to protect our children.

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