Active shooter events aren’t “breaking news” anymore. They’re background noise. Unless the body count hits double digits, most outlets barely blink. That’s how numb we’ve become.
The Ugly Truth
The epidemic of shootings is a result of the mental health crisis in the U.S.A. This isn’t paranoia. It’s pattern recognition. From the Texas Tower massacre in 1966 to the Lewiston, Maine shooting in 2023, the playbook — angry loner, untreated mental illness, red flags ignored—rarely changes. Only the location and casualty count does.
In just over two decades (2000–2023), there were 584 active shooter events in the U.S.A., on average, one every 6 months. That resulted in 2,430 casualties. And the trend is rising.
Risk Management: Low Frequency, High Severity
From a claim’s perspective, active shooter events are outliers. But the severity? Catastrophic. Educating yourself or your employees could be the difference between becoming a statistic—or getting home to your family.
Action = Survival
Passive people die! Run if you can. Hide if you must. Fight if it’s your only option. That’s not bravado—It works. The goal isn’t to be a hero. It’s to stay alive.
Remember: If you disarm a shooter—drop the weapon. SWAT has one job – kill anyone holding a weapon.
The Easy Stuff You’re Probably Ignoring
- Single entry point with buzz-in.
- Swipe access for employees at secondary entry points.
- Visitor/vendor logs.
- Cameras—visible but inaccessible.
These are table stakes. Cheap, easy, and effective deterrents.
Odds & Ends (That Could Save Your Business)
- Educate staff—Cost: $0. Benefit: Lifesaving.
- Threat assessment—Hire someone who’s knowledgeable. Not a PowerPoint jockey.
- Active shooter insurance—You might never use it but consider it.
Final Thought
If you’re reading this and thinking “This won’t happen here,” that’s exactly what they thought in Uvalde, El Paso, Sutherland Springs, and Las Vegas.
No one asked, just my opinion.
Stay safe and be well.
Steve Ryan
