Recent School Shootings:
February 14, 2008: Dekalb, IL
27-year-old Stephen Kazmierczak, a former graduate student at Northern Illinois University, opened fire in Cole Hall, killing five students and wounding 15 others. He then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. Kazmierczak entered Cole Hall with a shotgun and three handguns. Police found 48 shell casings and six shotgun shells in the classroom, indicating a number of shots had been fired. NIU enacted an alert system to inform their students and faculty of potential emergencies in real time through broadcast e-mails, phone calls, and postings on its website. "There were no red flags," said campus Police Chief Donald Grady, saying that Kazmierczak was someone "revered by faculty and students alike." School officials said there are limits to what any security plan can accomplish.
February 12, 2008: Oxnard, CA
Lawrence King, 15, was declared brain-dead after being shot by 14-year-old, Brandon McInerney. The shooting occurred around 8:30 a.m. in a classroom at E.O. Green Junior High School. A police community services officer said both people involved in the incident were believed to be students. The killing in the Oxnard classroom was determined a premeditated hate crime and McInerney is being charged as an adult.
February 11, 2008: Memphis, TN
A 19-year-old male high school student was shot twice by a 17-year-old male student. The suspect allegedly walked up to the victim and shot him twice while the two were in gym class at Mitchell High School. The suspect then reportedly gave the gun to a coach and said, "It's over now." The victim was hospitalized in critical condition. The suspect was charged with attempted first-degree murder. There was approximately 75 other students in the room at the time of the shooting.
February 8, 2008: Baton Rouge, LA
Latina Williams, 23, opened fire during an emergency medical technology class at Louisiana Technical College in Baton Rouge, killing two of her classmates, Karsheika Graves and Taneshia Butler. She then killed herself. Approximately 20 people were in the classroom at the time of the shootings.
February 8, 2008: Portsmouth, OH
A 53-year-old fifth grade Catholic elementary school teacher was stabbed in front of her children in her classroom around 9:00 a.m. by her estranged husband, who also fired a shot from a gun.
February 7, 2008: Los Angeles, CA
A young adult male, approximate age 19 or 20, was shot in the shoulder around 10:00 p.m. shortly after watching a high school basketball game held on a university campus.
February 6, 2008: Los Angeles, CA
A masked male, estimated in the age range of 12 to 14 years old, reportedly went into an elementary school office with a semi-automatic handgun, waved his arms at administrators, and fled the building. The suspect was not apprehended.
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Deaths in schools from elementary high school (1992-2007): 413 (331 from shootings)
National School Safety Center's Report on School Associated Violent Deaths October 2007
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"School shootings are a rare, but significant, component of school violence in America. It is clear that other kinds of problems are far more common than the targeted attacks that have taken place in schools across this country. However, each school-based attack has had a tremendous and lasting effect on the school in which it occurred, the surrounding community, and the nation as a whole. In the aftermath of these tragic events, educators, law enforcement officials, mental health professionals, parents, and others have asked: 'Could we have known that these attacks were being planned?' and, 'What can be done to prevent future attacks from occurring?'"
United States Secret Service and United States Dartment of Eduection, The Final Rreport and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States May 2002
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Is your school prepared to prevent, respond, and recover from one of these heinous acts?
Have your students, teachers, and administrators been educated on common indicators to more readily identify a person with the potential to enact a deadly assault prior to its occurrence?
Do you have a crisis management plan?
Are your school counselors involved in your schools crisis management plan?
Have you practiced your crisis management plan?
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Extreme Terrorism Consulting can assist your academic institution in answering all of these questions and work with you to help facilitate a safer place to work and educate the future leaders of our great nation. With the pendulum of violence suspended over the social deviance continuum, we can not afford to allow a sorted few prevent our youth from enjoying an inherent right to pursue knowledge in a secure environment.
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The National School Safety Center offers the following checklist derived from tracking school-associated violent deaths in the United States from July 1992 to the present to more readily identify a potentially homicidal individual:
_______ Has a history of tantrums and uncontrollable angry outbursts.
_______ Characteristically resorts to name calling, cursing or abusive language.
_______ Habitually makes violent threats when angry.
_______ Has previously brought a weapon to school.
_______ Has a background of serious disciplinary problems at school and in the community.
_______ Has a background of drug, alcohol or other substance abuse or dependency.
_______ Is on the fringe of his/her peer group with few or no close friends.
_______ Is preoccupied with weapons, explosives or other incendiary devices.
_______ Has previously been truant, suspended or expelled from school.
_______ Displays cruelty to animals.
_______ Has little or no supervision and support from parents or a caring adult.
_______ Has witnessed or been a victim of abuse or neglect in the home.
_______ Has been bullied and/or bullies or intimidates peers or younger children.
_______ Tends to blame others for difficulties and problems s/he causes her/himself.
_______ Consistently prefers TV shows, movies or music expressing violent themes and acts.
_______ Prefers reading materials dealing with violent themes, rituals and abuse.
_______ Reflects anger, frustration and the dark side of life in school essays or writing projects.
_______ Is involved with a gang or an antisocial group on the fringe of peer acceptance.
_______ Is often depressed and/or has significant mood swings.
_______ Has threatened or attempted suicide.
Developed by the National School Safety Center © 1998
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