School Shooter Preparedness

A school shooting is an event in which a person shoots and injures or kills at least one student or faculty member at an educational institute. These incidents often involve multiple deaths. Over the past few years, the frequency of school shootings has increased across the United States of America.

Safety Tips During a School Shooting

Run

If you are able, exit the area of danger and leave all belongings behind. Your first priority is your safety.

Hide

If you are unable to safely leave the area, take shelter in a classroom and deny access to the shooter.
Barricade doors with heavy tables and chairs and lock doors

Fight

If the shooter gains entry to the room, defend with sharp objects..

Preventative Measures for Schools

To diminish school shootings there are many preventive measures that can be taken:

Installing wireless panic alarms to alert law enforcement
Limiting points of entry with security guarding them.
Strategically placing telephones for emergencies so police are always reachable throughout a school campus.
Employing school psychologists to monitor and provide mental health services for those that need help.
Coordinating a response plan between local police and schools.
Installing automatically locking doors and windows with hardened exterior glass to deflect bullets and physical attack

Ending Note

There are often warning signs before a school shooting takes place. Through social media and other means, school shooters often broadcast a high degree of personal instability and a troubled mental state. Talk to a trusted adult at your school if you see or hear disturbing messages on social media. Many lives can be saved by speaking up and alerting officials of potential danger.