Capital Gazette Shooting Renews Interest in Corporate Active Shooter Training

Workplace violence is a hot topic across the nation right now, and a new source of attention has furthered the push for active shooter training at all businesses and organizations for every employee.  On Thursday, June 28, five Capital Gazette newspaper staffers were killed in an workplace violence related office shooting.

The Capital Gazette, a newspaper located in Annapolis, MD, experienced a “targeted attack.” The suspect is now in custody, but it remains unclear whether the gunman knew the victims or was simply targeting the newspaper. What is known is what survivors, friends and co-workers of the five victims (and additional two injured victims who suffered wounds from shattered glass that exploded in the on-set of the shooting), endured.

According to reports collected by fellow reporters from around the nation, the Gazette staffers felt they were in a war zone. Those who could hide did so, but they suffered through watching the gunman make his way down their newsroom with a shotgun and pull the trigger over and over again, killing anyone he could. The incident began at a time when the newsroom was full — reporters at their desks, editors in their officers — and the open floor plan ultimately made the shooter’s objective easier to achieve.

Incidents like this showcase the importance of not only obtaining active shooter training for your business or organization but also the need to collaborate with a security expert on how to best prevent an active shooter from accessing your operation and, most importantly, your employees.

AEGIS Security & Investigations offers numerous corporate training solutions including workplace violence, active shooter response and emergency response. We specialize in high-end, customer service-focused security, investigative, training, and consulting solutions. Since our inception in 2007, our goal has been to meet and exceed our client’s expectations. Our goal is to provide a high return on investment by providing high quality, efficient, and effective services, exceeding our client’s expectations.

AEGIS provides instruction in workplace violence, active shooter, pre-incident indicators and target hardening in addition to providing California state security certifications. Our training exceeds the industry standard by addressing real world issues in response to current events and trends. This responsiveness is how we differentiate ourselves in what we call, “The AEGIS Difference.” We design and implement programs based on our client’s hierarchy of needs.

Active shooter situations have steadily risen since the start of the millennium, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and are projected to continue to increase. (For a list of 2016 mass shootings, click here.) Additionally, the 2017 Everbridge Emergency Management and Safety (EMS) Solutions Active Shooter Preparedness Research Report found that while companies view active shooter situations to be a major concern, they are still not tackling the problem.

According to the report, an active shooter incident was a top potential threat to the workplace for 69 percent of employee respondents. Coming in at a near-second was workplace violence. Executives and organization leaders reported being more concerned about the safety of employees or students than they had been two years ago. A shocking 79 percent of respondents believed their organizations were not adequately capable of handling an active shooter situation. This is why employees and organizations as a whole need to arm themselves with knowledge about protecting themselves in the event of workplace violence or an active shooter.

Our sympathies go to the victims, their families and loved ones in this time of crisis. The Capital Gazette shooting marks the deadliest day in US journalism since 9/11, according to CNN.

AEGIS Security & Investigations is a Los Angeles based security firm that is licensed and insured to provide high-end armed and unarmed regular and temporary off-duty police officers, bodyguards, security officers, loss prevention agents, and hostile termination support. Additionally, we offer private investigation, consultation, skip tracing, and background investigation services. Our security training and active shooter workshops have been featured in news media and are renowned for their effectiveness and transparency. For more information or to contact us, visit www.aegis.com.

 

Authors: Chelsea Turner & Jeff Zisner