Tag Archive for Active Shooter

United States

U.S. House Financial Surveillance Report: How Federal Law Enforcement Commandeered Financial Institutions to Spy on Americans

The Committee on the Judiciary and its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government are charged by the House of Representatives with upholding fundamental American civil liberties. As a part of this mission, the Committee and Select Subcommittee have uncovered startling evidence that the federal government was engaged in broad financial surveillance, prying into the private transactions of American consumers. This financial surveillance was not predicated on any specific evidence of particularized criminal conduct and, even worse, it keyed on terms and specific transactions that concerned core political and religious expression protected by the Constitution.

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Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Counterterrorism Center

(U//FOUO) DHS-FBI-NCTC Bulletin: Attacks on Mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand May Inspire Supporters of Violent Ideologies

This Joint Intelligence Bulletin (JIB) is intended to provide information on Australian national and violent extremist Brenton Tarrant’s 15 March 2019 attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. These attacks underscore the enduring nature of violent threats posed to faith-based communities. FBI, DHS, and NCTC advise federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government counterterrorism and law enforcement officials and private sector security partners responsible for securing faith-based communities in the Homeland to remain vigilant in light of the enduring threat to faith-based communities posed by domestic extremists (DEs), as well as by homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) who may seek retaliation.

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Federal Bureau of Investigation

FBI Study: Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the U.S. 2000-2013

In 2017 there were 30 separate active shootings in the United States, the largest number ever recorded by the FBI during a one-year period.1 With so many attacks occurring, it can become easy to believe that nothing can stop an active shooter determined to commit violence. “The offender just snapped” and “There’s no way that anyone could have seen this coming” are common reactions that can fuel a collective sense of a “new normal,” one punctuated by a sense of hopelessness and helplessness. Faced with so many tragedies, society routinely wrestles with a fundamental question: can anything be done to prevent attacks on our loved ones, our children, our schools, our churches, concerts, and communities?

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Department of Homeland Security

DHS Guide: Improving Survivability in Improvised Explosive Device and Active Shooter Incidents

Recent improvised explosive device (IED) and active shooter incidents reveal that some traditional practices of first responders need to be realigned and enhanced to improve survivability of victims and the safety of first responders caring for them. This Federal, multi-disciplinary first responder guidance translates evidence-based response strategies from the U.S. military’s vast experience in responding to and managing casualties from IED and/or active shooter incidents and from its significant investment in combat casualty care research into the civilian first responder environment. Additionally, civilian best practices and lessons learned from similar incidents, both in the United States and abroad, are incorporated into this guidance. Recommendations developed in this paper fall into three general categories: hemorrhage control, protective equipment (which includes, but is not limited to, ballistic vests, helmets, and eyewear), and response and incident management.

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Intelligence Fusion Centers, New Jersey

(U//FOUO) New Jersey Fusion Center Active Shooter Awareness for the 2013 Holiday Season

One of the most serious threats facing New Jersey and the entire U.S. Homeland continues to be that of the active shooter, regardless of motivation, who by the very nature of their associated tactics, techniques, and procedures, pose a serious challenge to security personnel based on their ability to operate independently, making them extremely difficult to detect and disrupt before conducting an attack.

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Intelligence Fusion Centers, Massachusetts

(U//FOUO) Massachusetts Fusion Center School Shootings Analysis 1992-2012

The Commonwealth Critical Infrastructure Program (CCIP) analyzed school shooting incidents from 1992-2012 to identify patterns in attacker backgrounds or tactics which could assist officials. Observations are presented in summary format to allow officials to draw their own conclusions. Mitigation steps included in this document are presented to facilitate discussion and are not comprehensive or prescriptive.

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Connecticut, Department of Homeland Security, Intelligence Fusion Centers

DHS-Connecticut Intelligence Center (CTIC) Active Shooter Individual Response Guidelines

An “Active Shooter” is an individual actively engaging in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearm(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. Active Shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of Law Enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims. Because Active Shooter incidents are often over within 5-15 minutes, before Law Enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.

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Intelligence Fusion Centers, New Jersey

(U//FOUO) New Jersey Fusion Center School Shootings Commonalities Analysis

This report attempts to analyze the indicators and commonalities of recent school shootings in an effort to inform public safety officials and assist in the detection and prevention of potential school shooter plots or attacks. All incidents included in this assessment occurred in the United States while classes were in session. Domestic violence shootings and gang violence were not included in an effort to differentiate between “active shooter” incidents and other acts of violence. DHS defines an “active shooter” as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.

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News

FBI Analysis Finds That Only 4% of Active Shooter Incidents Since 2002 Were Perpetrated by Women

An FBI analysis of active shooter incidents since 2002 found that 96% of the attacks were perpetrated by males, most of which acted alone. The statistic is found in a joint intelligence bulletin released at the end of December by the Department of Homeland Security and FBI. The bulletin provides brief advice on crisis response and long-term protective measures as well as statistics related to past active shooter incidents, which are defined as situations where one or more individuals participates in a “random or systematic killing spree demonstrating their intent to harm others with a firearm.” Active shooters are distinguished from other “traditional criminal acts, such as robbery or hostage-taking” by their intention to commit “mass murder”. The FBI analyzed 154 active shooter events in the United States between 2002 and 2012 that included three or more individuals being shot.

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Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation

(U//FOUO) DHS-FBI Bulletin: Recent Active Shooter Incidents Highlight Need for Continued Vigilance

This Joint Intelligence Bulletin (JIB) is intended to provide information on the recent active shooter incidents that have taken place in the Homeland. This information is provided to support the activities of DHS and FBI and to assist private sector security officials and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement in identifying protective and support measures relating to active shooters.

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News

DHS, Fusion Centers Struggle to Respond to Mass Shootings

Four days after the mass shooting last July in Aurora, Colorado, a project of the Houston Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security called Ready Houston released a training video to help educate members the public about how to survive a mass shooting. The six-minute video, which was produced with $200,000 from the Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Area Security Initiative, includes a dramatic recreation of a man dressed entirely in black walking into an office building and beginning to shoot people at random with a shotgun that he pulls from a small satchel. Variously described as “outlandish”, “surreal” and “over-the-top”, the video has met with mixed responses since it was re-released by several fusion centers and local agencies, including most recently the Alabama Department of Homeland Security.

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Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation

(U//FOUO) DHS-FBI Updated Small Arms and Lone Shooters Warning August 2011

This Joint Intelligence Bulletin (JIB) updates a DHS-FBI joint analytic product of the same title dated 3 September 2010 and is intended to provide warning and perspective regarding the scope of the potential terrorist threats to the United States, specifically towards US persons. This product is provided to support the activities of DHS and FBI and to help federal, state, and local government counterterrorism and law enforcement officials deter, prevent, preempt, or respond to terrorist attacks directed against the United States.

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New York

NYPD Active Shooter Incidents Analysis for Risk Mitigation

Active shooter attacks are dynamic incidents that vary greatly from one attack to another. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defines an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.” In its definition, DHS notes that, “in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.” The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has limited this definition to include only those cases that spill beyond an intended victim to others.

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Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation

(U//FOUO) DHS-FBI Small Arms, Lone Shooters and Small-Unit Tactics Warning

(U//FOUO) DHS and the FBI assess that, given the current evolving and diversifying Homeland threat environment, recent incidents involving small arms operations here in the United States and abroad demonstrate the need for continued vigilance and awareness. Small arms operations could be employed through a range of tactics from a lone shooter—as illustrated by the 1 September incident in Silver Spring, Maryland at the headquarters of a U.S. cable network—to a small-unit assault operation.

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Intelligence Fusion Centers, Maryland, Virginia

(U//FOUO//LES) Johns Hopkins Hospital Shooting Update

Initial News sources had reported that the Baltimore Police Department had responded to a call for service for a single male shooter at the Johns Hopkins hospital located in Baltimore, MD. Initial reports indicated that a doctor was shot by the unknown suspect and was in critical condition. The suspect suspect was believed to be barricaded on the eighth floor of the Nelson Building on the Johns Hopkins Hospital Campus. There are reports that the shooter could be barricaded in the room with a relative. Baltimore Police Department reports that only certain areas of the hospital campus are cordoned off. Baltimore Police Department officers are on the scene, the suspect is not in custody, and the Baltimore Police is reporting that the situation is contained. The areas of the Hospital not cordoned off are operating normally.

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California

Los Angeles County Sheriff Active Shooter Response Tactics

This presentation deals with how to prevent, prepare, and tactically respond to a active shooter incident. This will include a historical overview of noteworthy active shooter incidents, with an emphasis on school shootings. Lessons learned, key terms, and important definitions will be discussed as well as the crisis response box, lockdown, and evacuation procedures. This presentation will also review law enforcement equipment, training and tactics as well as post shooting event incident management and threat assessment & management techniques.

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Department of Defense

Pentagon Force Protection Agency John Patrick Bedell Active Shooter Brief

At 1836 hrs, Bedell approached Amos and Carraway who were performing access control duties at the Metro Entrance Pre-Screen. As Bedell approached the officer’s and within 3 feet of reaching them he began firing shots from a handgun. Bedell ran between the officers and in the direction of the metro entrance doors. The officers immediately gave chase and returned fire. Bedell was shot twice prior to reaching the doors and fell to the ground. Other PPD Officers in the area responded and secured the area. The building was locked down under Code Red conditions and tenants were advised thru the public address systems to remain in the building and out of the hallways.

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Intelligence Fusion Centers

Regional Organized Crime Information Center Active Shooter Guide

Some of the most tragic events in our country’s recent history have been episodes where a deviant has carried out shootings in public places. These killings take place for no other reason than to harm as many innocent people as possible. They are often unpredictable and strike in places dear to us, such as our schools, churches, and places of work. They also can occur in random public settings. The definition of an active shooter incident is when one or more subjects participate in a shooting spree, random or systematic, with intent to continuously harm others. Active shooter scenarios are incredibly dangerous and difficult because there is no criminal objective (robbery, hostagetaking) involved other than mass murder.

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New York

NYPD University of Alabama Amy Bishop Shooting Brief

Overview
•At approximately 4 pm, local time, a female shooter opened fire on the campus of University Alabama-Huntsville
-The shooter was a female member of the university faculty
-The attack occurred at a biology faculty meeting
•Reports indicate 3 people were killed and 3 wounded
-2 male victims are in critical condition
-1 female victim is in stable condition
•The female suspect was arrested and her husband is detained
•Shooting occurred in the Shelby Center, a 200,000-square-foot science facility on the university campus
•Motive: the female opened fire when she learned she would not get a tenure faculty position as a full-time biology professor

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United States

National Retail Federation Emergency Response Protocols to Active Shooters

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, an Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims. Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.

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Intelligence Fusion Centers, Maryland

Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center: Stages of an Active Shooter

(U//FOUO) Due to the recent events in Virginia and threats to schools across the country, the following information is provided as background information for patrol officers. An active shooter is usually not a spur of the moment action. The person progresses through a number of identifiable stages. These stages may occur in rapid succession or over a period of months or even years. During the first four stages, law enforcement may have an opportunity to intervene before the shooter is able to execute the plan.

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