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Today December 14, 2012: A Day Like No Other Day As Tragedy Strikes Again

Today started like any other Friday: up by 6:00 am, coffee, breakfast and then to the office. With no meetings or appointments to attend, today should have been a day to wrap up the week and focus on the holiday shopping season, send out the last Christmas cards and think of special holiday time with family during the next two weeks. Soon after my arrival to the office, it became very real to me that this was no normal Friday.

School Violence and School Shootings, Happen Too Frequently

Michelle Millman, a local TV news anchor and reporter at KIRO TV in Seattle, WA, who has interviewed me on one other occasion, contacted me on my cell phone and asked if I had seen the news about the horrific school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.  The story of today’s shooting began to unfold as news outlets all over the nation raced to report the latest updates. Michelle inquired about my reaction and thoughts on the shooting and asked for an interview.  From that moment on, a normal Friday became the day the world watched one of the most horrific school shootings in U.S. history.  The aftermath – 28 dead and 20 of those were innocent defenseless children between the ages of five and ten years old.  As I write this blog, when I think of the 20 young lives lost, our children,   America’s children—the greatest treasure of any parent, I became overwhelmed with emotion.  I, too, am a mother and cannot even begin to fathom the agony of the parents who have lost a child today.

It’s Time to Prevent School Violence, Rather than Simply React

How does a senseless act like this happen? Why? These are questions many American families are asking tonight. As a former FBI Special Agent and Federal law enforcement officer, I have witnessed many senseless crimes that have caused me to ask, “Could this tragedy have been prevented?” The truth of the matter is that we live in a sometimes violent and very dangerous world—a reality we sometimes choose to ignore. Our desire to remain free drives us to not let fear of evil drive our lives. We are shocked and saddened at tragic events and at the same time grateful that such tragedy affected someone else and not us. Somehow, we have escaped the carnage and remain safe in our homes, at our office, in public places we visit, our schools and the churches we attend, and so on.

So can bad incidents like today’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary be prevented? In a study of 281 active shootings from 1966 – 2010, we see that 202 occurred in the United States and resulted in tragedy; 96% of the attackers were male; 36% of the shooters used more than one weapon; the attacker knew his target; and 23% of these shootings occurred in academic settings. Despite all we have learned from tragedies past, we still continue to focus on our response to serious incidents such as these, rather than on prevention.  We know that active shooters don’t just “snap.” Many have a preexisting history of violent behavior that is a trigger to the violent act.

There are Always Red Flags or Pre-Incident Indicators  

There are numerous red flags, or what we in the security industry call Pre Incident Indicators (PINs), which manifest in tell-tale thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in the perpetrator.  Thoughts might include talk of a violent incident, a focus on weapons or posting threats and images of weapons on Facebook; paranoia, etc. Feelings can be manifested through depression, instability, or through anger and hostility. Behaviors such as blaming others or evidence of drug and/or alcohol abuse could all be potential factors or PIN’s that are observed but never go reported. Why? The reason is that, as human beings, we fail to trust our animal instincts when our gut tells us something is wrong or out of the ordinary. Instead, it is easier to pass it off as “nothing.”

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter fits the above profile. There were incidents and PINs along the way that were waiting for the right trigger to cause such an act of violence.  As this story unfolds, we will hear the history of the shooter and we will ask “Why?” but we should be asking “What?” could have been done; what could have been reported about the shooter that might have caused an intervention and prevented such a tragedy in America today.

How to Trust Your “Danger” Instincts 

Here are 5 things you can do to ensure you are not a victim of ignoring your instincts when danger threatens:

BE ALERT!

1. 1. ATTENTIVE to your environment and surroundings
   2. LISTEN to your “gut feeling”– your “inner voice”
   3. ENGAGE with the “inner voice” – don’t ignore it!
   4. RESPOND by taking action. “See something – say something.”
   5. TRUST your instincts. Do not doubt! The life you save may be your own.

The families, friends, and all those affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting remain in my thoughts and prayers.

Stay alert and stay safe.

Kathy Leodler Chief Executive Officer Email:kathy.l@rampartgroup.com Phone: (360) 981-2703 PI License #3555

Paul Leodler Executive Vice President Email:paul.l@rampartgroup.com Phone: (360) 981-3397 PI License #4180

We at Rampart Group are committed to your security. Call 1-800 421-0614 or contact us today with your security or investigative needs.