Taking Early Steps Can Prevent Shootings
Within hours after Monday’s tragic shooting at Virginia Tech everyone began the traditional hand-wringing, and soul-searching that follows a horrific event, asking the age-old question: “Why?” along with “How could this have happened?” followed by the more insidious, “Who’s to blame?”
The real national debate that should emerge after this “watershed” moment in the history of workplace violence is why, we, as a community, continue to ignore the warning signs of those among us prone to murderous behavior?
These events never happen in a vacuum.
From Charles Whitman at the University of Texas, to Columbine, to Virginia Tech, somebody, somewhere, had foreknowledge that a person was on the verge of committing an act of violence, up to, and including killing.
At a 1966 press conference shortly after Charles Whitman murdered 16 people and wounded 31 from atop the University of Texas Tower, Dr. Heatly, a part-time UT psychiatrist, read some notes he had taken after Whitman’s last office visit. Dr. Heatly related how Whitman admitted to “having overwhelming periods of hostility with a very minimum of provocation.” Dr. Heatly also wrote of Whitman’s “vivid reference ‘to thinking about going up on the tower with a deer rifle and start shooting people.’” Do you think Dr. Heatly ever contacted the police or university officials about the fact that Whitman might be a danger to society?
Of course not.
Fast forward to 2007, and we’re hearing about how students predicted that Cho Seung-Hui, the Virginia Tech shooter, would commit an act of violence. Ian MacFarlane, a former classmate, wrote that he had discussed with other students about “whether [Cho] could be a school shooter.” Another classmate, Stephanie Derry, mentioned that: “We always joked we were just waiting for him to do something, waiting to hear about something he did.”
Professor Carolyn Rude, possibly in a vain attempt to distance herself from collective culpability, stated that Cho’s writing disturbed the university’s English Department enough that he was referred to counseling.
Okay, so far so good. Don’t ignore stuff. Refer to counseling. But then comes the clincher. Rude, the chairwoman of the English Department, never knew when, or if, Cho got counseling, or what the outcome was!
It’s been reported that Cho had been responsible for other disturbing and violent behavior prior to Monday’s shooting, including setting fire to a dorm room and stalking women. How much more evidence does a university, or a high school, or a corporation need, before they realize that a person may be a threat to the facility’s safety and security? When does somebody with leadership and courage step in and say: “This person may or may not have committed a crime yet, but we no longer feel safe having him or her employed by us, or attending school here.”
But what about discrimination? Those people have rights, too! Yes, but my daughter has the right to show up for class every morning and not get murdered by a classmate that the school and everyone else knew might kill people someday. We all have the right and responsibility to stand up and take action when faced by a potentially violent member of our society. We must never ignore the warning signs because they will always be there. So what can you do?
Once you realize that somebody might be “on the edge” or headed in that direction, and if you have some kind of relationship with that person, start off by talking with him or her. In a friendly and concerned manner, ask how they are doing, how they are feeling, if there is anything that you can do to help. We’d all be surprised how a few kind words might help do de-escalate someone with hostile feelings—most people want to know that “somebody cares.” This will also give you a handle on their volatility or hostile intent. If you do not have the type of relationship where you can speak to the person, then tell somebody!
Talk with other co-workers or students to get a better handle on the group’s concerns. Then go to a teacher, counselor, or supervisor at your work. Recommend that the person you go to take some kind of early intervention and demand follow up, and that the concerned students/employees be told what action was taken. If there were criminal threats involved, or some other crime, like assault and battery, stalking or annoying phone calls, call the police. Demand that officers, at the minimum take a “Suspicious Circumstances”-type report and get a case number. Often, early police contact with the person at risk will help to jolt the subject back into reality and may help to diffuse the situation.
If restraining orders are needed to add to the level of security and protection, then they must be obtained as soon as possible. Information about any and all potential threats, students or employees who were dismissed or fired because of threats of violence, must be disseminated to the faculty, staff and students.
Include a photograph of the person who is no longer welcome on campus or in the office, due to a restraining order or what have you, so that they can recognize the dangerous person when he or she returns wearing hunting gear and carrying the duffel bags with 2,000 rounds of ammunition.
Employers should discuss emergency escape plans at office meetings, active shooter scenarios, etc., and ask police to give a workplace violence presentation. Many police departments, like the Pasadena Police Department, have a psychiatric evaluation team. Ours, the Homeless Outreach/Psychiatric Evaluation (HOPE) Team, of which I am a member, is often called out to evaluate someone who hasn’t committed a crime yet, but may be exhibiting behavior or thoughts that would lead us to believe that the person is a danger to themselves or others, and we can place them on a mandatory 72-Hour Psychiatric Hold.
Workplace violence incidents cannot be totally prevented. But such early intervention suggestions can help decrease the possibility of a workplace violence incident, or minimize the lethality of one.
Originally published in the Pasadena Star-News of April 20, 2007.
Within hours after Monday’s tragic shooting at Virginia Tech everyone began the traditional hand-wringing, and soul-searching that follows a horrific event, asking the age-old question: “Why?” along with “How could this have happened?” followed by the more insidious, “Who’s to blame?”
The real national debate that should emerge after this “watershed” moment in the history of workplace violence is why, we, as a community, continue to ignore the warning signs of those among us prone to murderous behavior?
These events never happen in a vacuum.
From Charles Whitman at the University of Texas, to Columbine, to Virginia Tech, somebody, somewhere, had foreknowledge that a person was on the verge of committing an act of violence, up to, and including killing.
At a 1966 press conference shortly after Charles Whitman murdered 16 people and wounded 31 from atop the University of Texas Tower, Dr. Heatly, a part-time UT psychiatrist, read some notes he had taken after Whitman’s last office visit. Dr. Heatly related how Whitman admitted to “having overwhelming periods of hostility with a very minimum of provocation.” Dr. Heatly also wrote of Whitman’s “vivid reference ‘to thinking about going up on the tower with a deer rifle and start shooting people.’” Do you think Dr. Heatly ever contacted the police or university officials about the fact that Whitman might be a danger to society?
Of course not.
Fast forward to 2007, and we’re hearing about how students predicted that Cho Seung-Hui, the Virginia Tech shooter, would commit an act of violence. Ian MacFarlane, a former classmate, wrote that he had discussed with other students about “whether [Cho] could be a school shooter.” Another classmate, Stephanie Derry, mentioned that: “We always joked we were just waiting for him to do something, waiting to hear about something he did.”
Professor Carolyn Rude, possibly in a vain attempt to distance herself from collective culpability, stated that Cho’s writing disturbed the university’s English Department enough that he was referred to counseling.
Okay, so far so good. Don’t ignore stuff. Refer to counseling. But then comes the clincher. Rude, the chairwoman of the English Department, never knew when, or if, Cho got counseling, or what the outcome was!
It’s been reported that Cho had been responsible for other disturbing and violent behavior prior to Monday’s shooting, including setting fire to a dorm room and stalking women. How much more evidence does a university, or a high school, or a corporation need, before they realize that a person may be a threat to the facility’s safety and security? When does somebody with leadership and courage step in and say: “This person may or may not have committed a crime yet, but we no longer feel safe having him or her employed by us, or attending school here.”
But what about discrimination? Those people have rights, too! Yes, but my daughter has the right to show up for class every morning and not get murdered by a classmate that the school and everyone else knew might kill people someday. We all have the right and responsibility to stand up and take action when faced by a potentially violent member of our society. We must never ignore the warning signs because they will always be there. So what can you do?
Once you realize that somebody might be “on the edge” or headed in that direction, and if you have some kind of relationship with that person, start off by talking with him or her. In a friendly and concerned manner, ask how they are doing, how they are feeling, if there is anything that you can do to help. We’d all be surprised how a few kind words might help do de-escalate someone with hostile feelings—most people want to know that “somebody cares.” This will also give you a handle on their volatility or hostile intent. If you do not have the type of relationship where you can speak to the person, then tell somebody!
Talk with other co-workers or students to get a better handle on the group’s concerns. Then go to a teacher, counselor, or supervisor at your work. Recommend that the person you go to take some kind of early intervention and demand follow up, and that the concerned students/employees be told what action was taken. If there were criminal threats involved, or some other crime, like assault and battery, stalking or annoying phone calls, call the police. Demand that officers, at the minimum take a “Suspicious Circumstances”-type report and get a case number. Often, early police contact with the person at risk will help to jolt the subject back into reality and may help to diffuse the situation.
If restraining orders are needed to add to the level of security and protection, then they must be obtained as soon as possible. Information about any and all potential threats, students or employees who were dismissed or fired because of threats of violence, must be disseminated to the faculty, staff and students.
Include a photograph of the person who is no longer welcome on campus or in the office, due to a restraining order or what have you, so that they can recognize the dangerous person when he or she returns wearing hunting gear and carrying the duffel bags with 2,000 rounds of ammunition.
Employers should discuss emergency escape plans at office meetings, active shooter scenarios, etc., and ask police to give a workplace violence presentation. Many police departments, like the Pasadena Police Department, have a psychiatric evaluation team. Ours, the Homeless Outreach/Psychiatric Evaluation (HOPE) Team, of which I am a member, is often called out to evaluate someone who hasn’t committed a crime yet, but may be exhibiting behavior or thoughts that would lead us to believe that the person is a danger to themselves or others, and we can place them on a mandatory 72-Hour Psychiatric Hold.
Workplace violence incidents cannot be totally prevented. But such early intervention suggestions can help decrease the possibility of a workplace violence incident, or minimize the lethality of one.
Originally published in the Pasadena Star-News of April 20, 2007.
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