Active School Shooter
Introduction
The intention of this paper is to look at and present some issues and strategies that members of a school community think about when trying to create safer schools. Particularly when addressing an active shooter in a school setting. A major issue to consider when trying to keep all schools safe, is the simple fact that no two schools are the same. Understanding this can lead us to the conclusion that it is impossible to have one global plan or program that can be 100% effective in all schools. “Violence prevention programs work best when they incorporate multiple strategies and address the full range of possible acts of violence in schools. For any set of policies to work, it must be established and implemented with the full participation and support of school board members, administrators, parents, students, community members, emergency response personnel, and law enforcement.” (Kramen, 2008.) If these responsibilities were not shared, the success rate for safe school policies would be very low. Parents send their children to school and think that during that time they are studying and doing other productive, educational things. The last thing parents expect is something terrible happening to their child while at school. School violence is happening more frequently than it should and something needs to be done to stop it. Not only does an act of school violence, especially a school shooting, affect the individual student it reflects poorly on the United States school systems but it also reflects poorly to our nation as whole. Some people may argue that there is more pressure on kids these days than ever before and this can lead children to acting out and ultimately leading to unexpected actions. People may argue that children are inspired by movies and video games. Parents and school officials may argue that students idolize and mimic their movie and video game “heroes”. But one thing that these people may not consider is the unfair and unnecessary pressure that is being placed on children these days. Together these things add up very quickly creating unprecedented levels of stress that can turn children into violent and dangerous individuals. Since this is such a big issue in today’s society, it is creating a negative image of the school system in the United States. The repercussions of school violence and particularly with school shootings, is detrimental to our society as a whole. It is every member of society’s responsibility to stop these violent activities in our schools. These activities are damaging all students’ futures, but school violence, especially in the United States, tarnishes our reputation as a country. Below is a table to show how school shootings do not just effect the United States but it also demonstrates that the United States has a major issue to address. The table only goes up to the year 2011 and we know that there have been many other school shootings since this data came out.

The start of the twenty-first century saw the increasing issue of school shootings. These shootings are not just limited to the United States, school shootings “have occurred in at least 23 different countries distributed on all continents, making them a global phenomenon.” (Heitmeyer, 2013.) The worst shootings have received massive media attention and have greatly increased fear and doubt about school safety.
School Security and Prevention of Violence
One major issue to look at in a school shooting situation is the school security itself. A simple solution can be increasing the level of physical security to lower the vulnerability to violent behaviors. It would be a wise idea for school administrators to have a comprehensive security assessment of the school’s physical design, safety policies, and emergency procedures. Once again this must be conducted with the cooperation of school staff, emergency personnel, students, and other school community members. Every school has different needs and safety plans may vary. According to the IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police), there are twenty recommended actions that can be used to prevent violence in a school setting.
1. Use school resource officers (SROs) who may be provided by local law enforcement. SROs often provide law enforcement, law-related counseling, and law-related education to students, faculty, and staff. Continuity of officers in individual schools should be encouraged, so that students and SROs develop a rapport.
2. Consider seeking one or more probation officers for use on campus to help supervise and counsel students. This would be especially appropriate for high schools with a significant caseload of juveniles on probation.
3. Use trained personnel—paid or volunteer—selected specifically to assist teachers and administrators in monitoring student behavior and activities. Continuity of monitors within schools should be encouraged to facilitate good rapport with students. Monitors should be trained on the different types of violence likely to occur in the school; what behavior to look for in potential perpetrators; and how to document and report concerning behaviors. The number of monitors used should be based on the number of students, the extent of problems at the school, and the space and layout of school grounds.
4. Develop and enforce restrictions about student loitering in parking lots, hallways, bathrooms, and other areas. Publish restrictions in the student handbook or code of conduct.
5. Consider the use of metal detectors in special circumstances to deter weapons on campus.
6. Adopt policies for conducting searches for weapons and drugs.
7. Require visitors to sign in and sign out at the school office and to wear visible visitors’ passes. Designate a staff member or volunteer monitor for each entrance and provide each with a radio. The monitor should notify all visitors that they must sign in, direct them to the office, and radio the office to confirm that the visitor checks in. The monitors should be trained on what concerning behaviors to look for in a potential perpetrator. Escort any visitor that may be suspicious to the office.
8. Encourage school personnel to greet strangers on campus and direct them to sign in if they have not. Also instruct school personnel to report visitors who have not signed in.
9. Require students and staff to carry with them or wear their school photo IDs during school and
10. Establish a closed campus policy that prohibits students from leaving campus during lunch.
11. Establish a cooperative relationship with law enforcement and owners of adjacent properties to the school that allow for joint monitoring of student conduct during school hours. Encourage neighboring residents and businesses to report all criminal activity and unusual incidents. Establish a protocol at the school to handle calls from the neighborhood.
12. Establish a professional relationship with a forensic psychologist who specializes in violence assessment, interruption, and prevention.
13. Consider providing and making use of alarm, intercom, cell phone, building paging, twoway radio, and mounted and handheld camera monitoring systems on buses and school campuses.
14. Ensure that people in each classroom have a way to contact the office in case of emergencies and train staff on what type of information should be reported and how it should be reported during emergencies. Do not use codes or code words.
15. Develop a school bus rider attendance checklist for each bus and use it daily.
16. Consider employing outside security personnel during school functions. The school district must outline the roles, responsibilities, and limits of such personnel, including whether they are armed and if they are supposed to respond to an active shooter. The decision to use security officers and any contract with an outside security firm should be reviewed by legal counsel.
17. Patrol school grounds, especially in areas where students tend to congregate, such as parking lots, hallways, stairs, bathrooms, cafeterias, and schoolyards.
18. Develop threat and crisis management plans and Provisions.
19. Develop a comprehensive set of violence prevention strategies based on the guidance provided in this document and ensure that it is fully implemented.
20. Publish all policies and restrictions in the student handbook or code of conduct.
Since there is no standard operating procedure for incidents involving school shooting or violence, many institutions and organizations have come up with lists and strategies to prevent such tragic events from occurring. Below is a list of ways to prevent school violence according to the NASP (National Association of School Psychologists).
1. Limited access to school building (designated entrance with all other access points locked from the exterior).
2. Monitoring of the school parking lot (parking lot monitors who oversee, people entering and leaving the campus).
3. Monitoring and supervision of student common areas such as hallways, cafeterias, and playgrounds.
4. School-community partnerships to enhance safety measures for students beyond school property (Block Parents, police surveillance, Community Watch programs).
5. Presence of school resource officers, local police partnerships, or security guards.
6. Monitoring of school guests (report to main office, sign in, wear badges, report unfamiliar people to school office).
7. Crisis plans and preparedness training (building level teams; regular review of plans and simulation drills; training teachers and other staff in how to respond to students’ questions, crisis awareness).
8. Creating a safe, supportive school climate that provides school-wide behavioral expectations, caring school climate programs, positive interventions and supports, psychological and counseling services, and violence prevention programs (bully-proofing, social skill development, conflict mediation).
9. Encourage students to take responsibility for their part in maintaining safe school environments, including student participation in safety planning. They, better than adults, know the hidden or less trafficked areas of the school that are more likely to be dangerous.
10. Promote compliance with school rules, reporting potential problems to school officials, and resisting peer pressure to act irresponsibly.
11. Anonymous reporting systems (student hot lines, “suggestion” boxes, “tell an adult” campaigns).
12. Threat assessment and risk-assessment procedures and teams for conducting the assessments.
13. School preparedness drills (intruder alerts, weather and fire).
14. Citing school safety incident data. Recent trends have found that school violence nationwide is declining. Many school districts have local data that support this trend. When possible, citing local data helps families and students feel more at ease.
15. Presence of security systems (metal detectors, video monitoring, exit door alarm systems).
As you can see, there are many similarities between these two lists. But with these lists and strategies there is still potential for shootings and violence to occur. These lists are presented to further support that there are ways and strategies to prevent school shootings but there is no such thing as a perfect solution. School districts have also responded to these issues by also including alternative programs, expulsion, suspension, locker searches, metal detectors, mentoring programs, closed lunches, dress codes, support groups, security guards, and conflict meditation for teachers and administrators. The solutions all depend on each individual student, the severity of the issue, and the individual school itself. The major issue with all of these solutions presented is that not all school districts have the proper budget and staff to carry out all of these prevention and reaction strategies.
Emergency Plans
Many of the school shooting incidents bring up new concern about the effectiveness of school safety. This concern is felt by school administrators, teachers, students and parents. In every incident of a school shooting, the safety and security of the school was compromised. The incidents resulted in serious injury and death to students and school faculty. As time goes on, schools around the world are requiring an emergency contingency plan. A contingency plan would not just cover school shootings but it would also incorporate plans to deal with natural disasters, not just shooting incidents. “The plan should include a risk analysis that identifies the possible threats posed and provides a comprehensive response plan for all eventualities. Those eventualities may be broadly defined as natural or man-made disasters.” (Kingshott, 2013). An effective contingency plan must be flexible and must be easily implemented and managed. This must hold true for any emergency being addressed. Factors that need to be considered are weather, environment, vehicle and pedestrian traffic, unpredictable human behavior, and the overall magnitude of the situation/disaster. “The government Accountability Office estimates that 95% of all school districts have written emergency plans.” (Kingshott, 2013). With the all the recent school shootings, it is clear that there is a difference between having a plan and actually putting the plan to use by achieving the objective of a safe school environment. Some people may argue that these schools had the “wrong” plan; however, some may also say that there was a good plan in place, but the procedures to carry out such a plan were flawed. During a school emergency, teachers and school administrators are the first to respond to the incident. It is their duty to identify the issue or danger. They must also assess the situation, determine the proper response, and notify administration of the situation so the contingency plan can be immediately implemented. As a first responder to an incident it is their role to assess and advise. No matter what the situation may be, there will always be a delay before law enforcement can intervene. It is at this point that the law enforcement officials will do their own risk assessment. It is highly unlikely that outside emergency personnel will be immediately available. With that being said, that is why it is extremely important for teachers and school administrators to perform the duty of the first responder to a school emergency.

Security Measures Since the tragedy of the Sandy Hook Elementary School, attention has been on implementing stronger school security measures. “There has even been proposed legislation to provide additional funding for school security. This may be in the form of metal detectors, cameras, bulletproof glass, locked gates, and law enforcement officers.” (Nance, 2013). When trying to implement these security measures, there are a few things one must consider. It is known that students of low-income and are minorities are disproportionally subjected to extreme security measures all across the nation. This can change the allocation of such security funds. Also, when strict security measures are put into place, the school can take on a prison type of feeling with a result of a poor learning environment for the students. Despite the tragic and highly publicized events of school shootings, it can be argued that schools are actually some of the safest places for children. “because increased security measures are unlikely to prevent someone determined to commit a violent act at school from succeeding, funding currently dedicated to school security can be put to better use by implementing alternative programs in schools that promote peaceful resolution or conflict.” (Nance, 2013). The Columbine incident occurred despite the use of metal detectors and armed guards in the school. Schools can prevent violence by “investing in programs that build community, collective responsibility, and trust among students and educators than by using measures that rely on fear, coercion, and punishment” (Nance, 2013). With the addition of counseling, mental health services, mentoring programs and hiring more teachers to reduce class room sizes, these alone can help promote school safety without doing any damage to the educational environment.

Stages of an Active Shooter
Law Enforcement Today (LET) states that there are five stages to the active shooter. First is the Fantasy stage. Here the shooter will show or speak of fantasies of hurting others. SWAT Lt. Marcou for LET states that this is the best time to intervene. There is no criminal activity at this point and more importantly nobody has been injured. This is a clear cry for help from a potential active shooter. Second is the planning stage. It is at this point the shooters thoughts turn into action. There is a decision made about the who, what, where, when and how. In some instances there have been computer files about a shooters plan, and in other cases there have been personal manifestos about issuing potential harm. At this stage, with the proper intervention, all activity can be brought to a stop. “The circumstances will dictate medical treatment or legal action is required to address the situation, if law enforcement is given an opportunity to intervene.” (Marcou, 2012). The third stage is the preparation stage. During this time, the shooter will devote time and resources to complete their task. It is here the shooter can confirm that they can carry out their plan. During this time a potential shooter may distance or warn friends and family to stay away. The fourth stage is the approach stage. At this point and time, the shooter is committed to their plan. This is when they are closing in on their targets. During this stage it is very possible that they are carrying their weapon. This is the final opportunity to confront the shooter and overcome any violent acts. The fifth and final stage is the implementation stage. It is at this point in time where the shooters plan is taken into full action. It is here when people are being injured. Sadly it is during this stage when law enforcement usually receives a call. No matter how fast they respond, law enforcement usually shows up too late since people are already injured or deceased. In many cases the shooter takes their own life upon the arrival of law enforcement.
What Can You Do?
Run, Hide, Fight is a program that has received the most publicity about responding to an active shooter. Here is a brief recap of Ready Houston’s solution to an active shooter: Run when an active shooter is in your vicinity. If there is an escape path, attempt to evacuate. Evacuate whether others agree to or not. Leave your belongings behind. Help others escape if possible. Prevent others from entering the area and call 9-1-1 when you are safe. If you cannot run or evacuate you must Hide. Lock or block the door, silence your cell phone, hide behind large objects and remain very quiet. Your hiding place should be out of the shooters view, provide protection of shots that are fired in your direction. Hiding should not trap or restrict your options for movement. As a last resort and only if your life is in danger, Fight. If this is your last option, attempt to incapacitate the shooter. Act with physical aggression. Improvise weapons. Finally you must commit to your actions. When law enforcement arrives, remain calm and follow instructions. It is important that you have your hands visible at all times. Try to avoid pointing or yelling. Know that help for the injured is on its way.
Recently there has been a contradiction pertaining to Run, Hide, Fight. It contradicts what you are supposed to do in an active shooter situation. In Decatur Georgia, Antoinette Tuff, a school secretary, successfully talked down a school shooter. Nobody was injured but this young man was armed and ready to take action. If Tuff was to get physical with the shooter, things could have ended tragically. The school, Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy, has a security system. “The entrance has double doors and a buzzer-entry system. Visitors must show identification to a camera, according to news reports. The suspect Michael Brandon Hill, 20, apparently “tailgated” an authorized person entering the school”. (Canfield, 2013). After he entered the school, he found himself in the front office. It was there he surrendered his weapons after being persuaded to do so by Tuff. This very instance goes against the Run, Hide, and Fight philosophy. Even with some security measures in place, Hill was still able to gain access to the school. It seems as if there is still no perfect solution to an active shooter in any instance. The Run, Hide, Fight philosophy may work in an office setting or even a college setting but is it really that effective in an elementary school setting? How well can a child “fight” against an active shooter? What about people and students with special needs? It appears the school security debate will continue to wage on.
An alternative to Run, Hide, Fight is A.L.I.C.E. This is an acronym for alert, lockdown, inform, counter, and evacuate. This program’s objective is to provide students and teachers with options when they encounter an active shooter on campus. This is a more aggressive approach when compared to Run, Hide, Fight. Let’s break down ALICE a little bit further. During the alert phase the danger is announced. Do not assume other people are contacting the police. Provide information of the vital who, what, when, where, and how. Lockdown is just what it sounds like and is a great point in time to make safety decisions. Barricade entry points and make yourself a hard target to hit. Lockdown should not be confused with locked in. You can block a door or entrance but still exit out a window if possible. Inform and provide information to those in danger. This can help other people make decisions on how to react and what other steps need to be taken. Counter by using simple and proactive techniques to offset the danger. Counter when there are no other options available. Make noise and try to distract the shooter. Evacuation is self explanatory; remove yourself from the danger as soon and as far away as possible. You can see that the main ideas and objectives for Run, Hide, Fight and ALICE are very similar. The critiques about both programs are also similar. These two programs are giving advice and suggestions if you ever find yourself in a school shooting situation. Although they are not perfect, and every situation is different, they provide good plan for reacting to an active shooter.
Arming Teachers
A hot topic of conversation and debate is, should we arm our teachers and school personnel? There are two rationales that support arming teachers and officials. The first rationale is “if people know a school teacher may have a gun on campus they will be less likely to attack that campus.” (Velez, 2013). The second rationale is “when someone does go on a shooting spree on a school campus, the armed teacher will be able to stop the shooter preventing others from being killed” (Velez, 2013). Before any school employee can carry a gun onto school property they must meet certain requirements. The teachers must complete training and be sanctioned by the school board to carry concealed weapons. Before the teachers can bring a gun to school, there has to be certain policies and procedures that need to be put into place. According to Mark Valez they are:
1. Who is eligible to be armed (minimum requirements)
2. Detail the background check process
3. Explain who will pay for the expenses associated with arming school personnel
4. Specify how the gun will be worn or stored
5. List required initial and on-going training
6. Provide guidelines for when the firearm can be used
7. Specify what types on guns and ammunition can be used
8. Provide procedures so teachers are not mistaken for an attacker
9. Indemnify school personnel if they shoot a student during an incident
The whole topic of gun control and use is always up for debate. However, with the number of school shooting our society has seen, arming teachers and school officials should be considered. The concerns of arming teachers can be addressed through background checks, specific guidelines, training, and policies. This is just another route to consider when trying to keep school children safe from another school shooting.
Conclusion
Everyone can agree, school shootings have been a worldwide problem. School shootings happen way too frequently, especially in the United States. Schools should be a place of learning, not fear. Even though there is no such thing as a perfect plan, most schools are now equipped with emergency and contingency plans. It appears that there is no such thing as a profile to a potential school shooting. However, with combined efforts of students, school administration, and all school employees, violence and shootings to a certain level and degree in schools can be avoided. For the time being programs such as Run, Hide, Fight, and ALICE are good starting points to stop an active shooter. A topic of hot debate that should be seriously considered is arming school teachers. There are many factors that need to be looked at when focusing on school shootings. With every school shooting, the situation and circumstances will always be different. This makes it difficult to have one simple and effective plan.

School Shooting Timeline

School Shooting Incidents From 1990-2013 (Present)
1990s

According to a survey conducted in 1993 by The Harvard School of Public Health,[45] "15% [of students surveyed] said that they had carried a handgun on their person in the past 30 days, and 4% said that they had taken a handgun to school in the past year," a sharp increase from just five years earlier. o January 8, 1991, Richardson, Texas Jeremy Wade Delle, 15, killed himself with a .357 Magnum in front of his second-period English class. The incident inspired the Pearl Jam song "Jeremy". o November 1, 1991 Iowa City, Iowa University of Iowa shooting Former graduate student Gang Lu, 28, killed four members of the university faculty and one student, and seriously wounded another student, before committing suicide. o May 1, 1992: Olivehurst, California Lindhurst High School shooting Eric Houston, 20, killed four people and wounded 10 in an armed siege at his former high school. Prosecutors said the attack was in retribution for a failing grade. o January 18, 1993: Grayson, Kentucky East Carter High School shooting Scott Pennington, 17, fatally shot his teacher, Deanna McDavid, and head custodian Marvin Hicks.[46]

According to the National School Safety Center, since the 1992-1993 U.S. school year there has been a significant decline in school-associated violent deaths (deaths on private or public school property for kindergarten through grade 12 and resulting from schools functions or activities):[47]
According to the U.S. Department of Education, in the 1998-1999 School Year, 3,523 students (57% High School, 33% Junior High, 10% Elementary) were expelled for bringing a firearm to school.[48] o December 17, 1993, Chelsea, Michigan High school teacher Steven Leith walked out of a staff meeting, returned with a gun, fatally shot the school district's superintendent and wounded the principal and a teacher. The gunman, identified by co-workers as Steve Leith, a science teacher, was arrested at Chelsea High School, the police said. The shooting occurred about an hour after classes ended, during a staff meeting. The Police Chief, Lenard McDougall, said of the suspect: "I found him sitting in a chair in the classroom by himself. He said 'Hi,' and he was taken into custody. He was quiet, very quiet." A 9-millimeter semiautomatic gun was found outside the building, the police said. Joseph Piasecki, superintendent of Chelsea schools, died at Chelsea Community Hospital of multiple gunshot wounds. Phil Jones, 44, an English teacher, was treated for a stomach wound. The principal, Ronald Mead, 43, was shot in the leg.[49] o November 7, 1994: Wickliffe, Ohio (Wickliffe Middle School shooting) Keith Ledeger, 37, a former student at the school, shot and killed custodian Pete Christopher and wounded four other adults. o January 12, 1995: Seattle Washington A 15-year-old Garfield High School student left school during the day and returned with his grandfather's 9mm semiautomatic handgun. He wounded two students.[50] o October 12, 1995: Blackville, South Carolina (Blackville-Hilda High School shooting) Anthony Sincino, 16, killed one teacher and wounded another before committing suicide. o November 15, 1995: Lynnville, Tennessee (Richland High School shooting) James Rouse, 17, killed a student and teacher and seriously wounded another teacher with a .22-caliber rifle. o February 2, 1996: Moses Lake, Washington (Frontier Middle School shooting) Barry Loukaitis, 14, killed a teacher and two students and wounded another student when he opened fire on his algebra class. o August 15, 1996: San Diego, California (San Diego State University shooting) Frederick Martin Davidson, a 36-year-old graduate student killed three professors that he believed were involved in a conspiracy against him. o September 17, 1996: State College, Pennsylvania (Hetzel Union Building shooting) Jillian Robbins, 19, shoots and kills one student and injures two outside Pennsylvania State University’s Hetzel Union Building. o February 19, 1997: Bethel, Alaska Bethel Regional High School student Evan Ramsey, 16, shot and killed the school’s principal and one student, and wounded two other students.. o October 1, 1997: Pearl, Mississippi (Pearl High School shooting) Luke Woodham, 16, murdered his mother at home before killing his ex-girlfriend and another student and wounding seven others at Pearl High School. He and his friends were said to be outcasts who worshiped Satan. o November 27, 1997: West Palm Beach, Florida Conniston Middle School student Tronneal Magnum, 14, fatally shot Johnpierre Kamel, 14, outside school after an argument over a wristwatch.[51] o December 1, 1997: West Paducah, Kentucky (Heath High School shooting) Three students were killed and five wounded by Michael Carneal, 14, as they participated in a prayer circle. o December 15, 1997: Stamps, Arkansas Joseph “Colt” Todd, 14, concealed in a wooded area on school grounds, shoots and wounds two students as they were entering Stamps High School.[52] o March 24, 1998: Craighead County, Arkansas Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, killed four students and one teacher and wounded ten others as Westside Middle School emptied during a fire alarm intentionally set off by Golden. o April 24, 1998: Edinboro, Pennsylvania (Parker Middle School dance shooting) Andrew Wurst, 14, fatally shot teacher John Gillette, 48, and wounded two students and a teacher at an 8th grade graduation dance. o May 19, 1998: Fayetteville, Tennessee Jacob Davis, 18, shoots Robert Creson, 18, in a dispute over a girl.[53] o May 21, 1998: Springfield, Oregon After killing his parents at home, Kip Kinkel,15, drove to Thurston High School where he shot and killed two students and wounded 25 others. o June 15, 1998: Richmond, Virginia A 14-year-old student of Armstrong High School wounds a teacher and a school volunteer.[54] o December 10, 1998: Detroit, Michigan Professor Andrzej Olbrot is killed by graduate student Wlodzimierz Dedecjus, 48.[55] o April 20, 1999: Columbine, Colorado (Columbine High School massacre) Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, killed 12 students and one teacher, and wounded 21 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School. o May 20, 1999: Conyers, Georgia (Heritage High School shooting) Six students injured by Thomas Solomon Jr., 15. o November 19, 1999: Deming, New Mexico A 13-year-old girl fatally shot at Deming Middle School by Victor Cordova Jr., 13. Cordova stated he had intended to commit suicide but was jostled by others and the gun moved

2000s

o February 29, 2000: Buell Elementary School, Flint, Michigan; 6-year-old Dedrick Owens, youngest-ever school shooter. Kayla Rolland was the single fatality.[57] o May 26, 2000: Lake Worth, Florida Lake Worth Middle School Florida teacher Barry Grunow was fatally shot by his student, 13-year-old Nathaniel Brazill, who had returned to school after being sent home at 1 p.m. by the assistant principal for throwing water balloons. Brazill returned to school on his bike with a 5 inch Raven and four bullets stolen from his grandfather the week before. Brazill was an honor student. Grunow was a popular teacher and Brazill's favorite.[57] o August 28, 2000: University of Arkansas shooting at Fayetteville, Arkansas At approximately 12:14 pm, Dr. John R. Locke, 67, Director of the Comparative Literature Program was shot and killed in his office by James E. Kelly, 36, a Comparative Literature PhD candidate who had recently been dismissed from the program for lack of progress towards his degree. Kelly shot Dr. Locke three times before taking his own life in Dr. Locke's office after it was cordoned off by campus police.[58][59][60] o September 26, 2000: Darrel Johnson, 13, offender in Louisiana school shooting with 1 student fatality.[57] o March 5, 2001: Charles Andrew William, age 15, offender in California school shooting at Santana High School, 15 wounded 2 of which died.[57] o March 30, 2001: Donald R. Burt Jr., age 18, offender in Indiana school shooting with 1 student fatality.[57] o September 24, 2003: John Jason McLaughlin, age 15, offender in Minnesota school shooting with 2 student fatalities.[57] o February 2, 2004: Unidentified offender in Washington, DC school shooting with 1 student fatality.[57] o May 7, 2004: Unidentified 17 year old offender in Maryland school shooting with 1 student fatality.[57] o March 21, 2005: Jeff Weise, 16 year old offender in Minnesota school shooting. Fatalities include 1 teacher, 5 students, 1 security guard, 2 relatives.[57] o November 8, 2005: Kenny Bartley, age 15, offender in Tennessee school shooting with 1 principal fatality.[57] o August 24, 2006: Christopher Williams walked into Essex Elementary School (Essex, Vermont) and opened fire, killing teacher Alicia Shanks after killing his ex-girlfriend's mother, Linda Lambessis, at home. o September 27, 2006: Duane Roger Morrison walked into Platte Canyon High School (Bailey, Colorado), took six girls hostages and sexually assaulted them. As police entered the classroom he killed one hostage and then shot himself. He died later that day in a nearby Denver hospital. See Platte Canyon High School hostage crisis.[61] o September 29, 2006: Eric Hainstock, 15 year old offender in Weston High School shooting, walked in the school building and shot the high school principal with a handgun after a custodian disarmed him of a shotgun in Cazenovia, Wisconsin. o October 2, 2006: Charles Carl Roberts IV, a 32 year old a milk truck driver, murdered five Amish girls and injured five others before killing himself in an Amish school in the hamlet of Nickel Mines, in Bart Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. o April 16, 2007: Seung-Hui Cho, age 23, offender in Virginia Tech massacre. 32 students and faculty were killed, along with another 17 students and faculty injured in two separate attacks on the same day. o February 14, 2008: The Northern Illinois University shooting was a school shooting that took place on February 14, 2008, during which Steven Kazmierczak shot multiple people on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, United States, killing five and injuring 21, before committing suicide. o October 26, 2009: A graduate student fatally shot himself in the presence of a professor, in the professor's office, on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University

2010s

o March 26, 2011: Michael Phelps, a 15-year-old suspended student, returned to Martinsville West Middle School in Martinsville, Indiana with a 9mm handgun. In the entrance of the school, Phelps encountered 15-year-old Chance Jackson and shot him twice in the abdomen. Phelps fled the school and dropped the handgun in a field and was arrested shortly after near South Elementary School.[63] As a result, Jackson suffered from life threatening injuries and underwent surgery three times, and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Phelps was convicted of attempted murder in August 2011, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison and 5 years of probation.[64][65] o February 27, 2012: Thomas "T.J." Lane, 17, is believed to have taken a Ruger MK III .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun and a knife to Chardon High School and fired ten shots at a group of students sitting at a cafeteria table. Three students died in the attack; a 16-year-old boy died immediately, and two other male students died from their wounds the following day. Three other students were injured. Lane was arrested when he was standing near his car parked near the school, and he is charged with murder, attempted murder, and firearms offenses.[66] o August 24, 2012: In Homer, Georgia, a 16-year-old student at Banks County High School fatally shot himself in a school restroom. o August 27, 2012: In Perry Hall, Maryland, a suburban community of Baltimore, Robert Gladden, 15, allegedly took a double barrel shotgun to Perry Hall High School and fired shots inside the school cafeteria. A 17-year-old senior with Down syndrome was hit in the lower back while he was sitting at a table and suffered critical wounds. Gladden was immediately subdued by school faculty members, and was arrested. He is facing numerous attempted murder charges and firearms offenses.[67][68] o September 26, 2012: In Stillwater, Oklahoma, Cade Poulos, 13, shot himself in the head shortly before classes started at Stillwater Junior High School.[69] o November 29, 2012: In Taylorsville, Utah, David Phan, 14, shot himself in front of other students. Phan reportedly was suspended from Bennion Junior High School on the day of his suicide. His mother picked him up from school at about 1:30 pm[70] and took her son home before returning to work. According to the local newspaper, it was not immediately clear why Phan was suspended from the school. Phan then took a gun from a locked safe in his home[70] and walked back to the school around 3 pm. He met a group of students on the pedestrian bridge over 6200 South near 2700 West, where he pulled out the gun he had carried with and shot himself in front of those students. The 911 call was received at 3:05 pm. Later investigation revealed that Phan could have been a victim of bullying for being thought a homosexual.[71] The Granite School District has not publicly released the reason for his suspension or any possible records of him having been bullied. o December 14, 2012: Adam Lanza, aged 20, killed 27 people and himself at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. He first killed his mother at their shared home before taking her guns and driving to the school. During the attack, 20 first-grade children aged six and seven were killed, along with six adults, including the principal and the school psychologist

January 10, 2013: A gunman entered a science classroom of Taft Union High School with a 12 gauge shotgun and opened fire. A 16-year-old male student, identified as Bowe Cleveland, was shot in the chest and critically wounded. Another student was shot at, but was not hit. The classroom teacher, Ryan Heber, convinced him to drop his weapon, and the gunman followed his order and was later arrested. Additionally, Heber suffered a minor wound from being grazed by a shotgun pellet during the ordeal. The gunman is suspected to be a 16-year-old student of the school, Bryan Oliver. Cleveland and the other student that was shot at are both believed to be intended targets of the gunman. On January 14, Oliver was charged with two counts of attempted murder and assault with a firearm.

January 12, 2013: Detroit, Michigan A 16-year-old boy was shot in a field across the school campus after a basketball game was held at Osborn High School. He was hospitalized in serious condition.

January 15, 2013:St. Louis, Missouri A gunman shot an administrator in his office on the fourth floor of Stevens Institute of Business and Arts, wounding him. The SUSPECT, a part-time student, shot and wounded himself on a stairwell.

January 15, 2013:Hazard, Kentucky, Two people are shot and killed and a third person was wounded at the parking lot of Hazard Community and Technical College. Two people said they were involved in the shootings and were taken into custody.[/list]

January 16, 2013: Chicago Illinois A 17-year-old boy, Tyrone Lawson, was shot to death in a parking lot of Chicago State University. The shooting happened after high school basketball games were being held on the university campus, and Lawson was a spectator at the event. Police arrested two people after the shooting and recovered a weapon

January 22, 2013: Houston Texas Between the Library and Academic Building outside of Lone Star College–North Harris, two men got into an argument and one of the men pulled out a gun and shot the other man, a student, injuring him. A maintenance man suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. The gunman accidentally shot himself in the leg. After the shooting, the gunman fled into the woods and was arrested hours later. Police charged 22-year-old Carlton Berry with aggravated assault

January 29, 2013: Midland City, Alabama 2013 Alabama bunker hostage crisis: A gunman, believed to be a man in his 60s, boarded a school bus and shot the bus driver, Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66. Poland was killed. The gunman abducted a 6-year-old child and held him hostage in an underground bunker.

January 31, 2013: Atlanta, Georgia A 14-year-old male student was shot and wounded in the back of the neck at Price Middle School. The gunman, a student, was believed to be arguing with the other student before taking out a handgun and firing multiple shots at him. In addition, a teacher was injured during the shooting. Afterward, the gunman was disarmed by a school resource officer and subsequently apprehended

March 18, 2013: Orlando, Florida At the University of Central Florida, 30-year-old student James Oliver Seevakumaran pulled a fire alarm went off at the Tower 1 dormitory. According to plans he had written, Seevakumaran intended to attract a large amount of people inside the building to gather and shoot them. He then pointed a handgun at his roommate and threatened to shoot him inside their dormitory room. Seevakumaran released his roommate who subsequently called ran into a bathroom to call 911. Seevakumaran then fatally shot himself in the head. Authorities found an assault weapon, a couple hundred rounds of ammunition and four homemade bombs inside his backpack.

April 19, 2013: At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, near Building 32 (Stata Center) at 10:48 p.m. EDT,[243] a campus police officer was shot multiple times.[244] The officer, 26-year-old Sean Collier, was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in nearby downtown Boston, where he was pronounced dead. The shooting was believed to be perpetrated by the suspects of the Boston Marathon bombings that took place in Boston three days prior to this shooting.[245][246] The two suspects are brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

About three hours after the MIT shooting, Tamerlan died in a gunfight with police in Watertown, Massachusetts. In that gunfight, another officer was shot and seriously wounded. Dzhokhar was arrested 18 hours afterward in Watertown, and was hospitalized in critical condition from a gunshot wound to the neck.

April 29, 2013: Cincinnati, Ohio At around 8:00 AM EST, a shooting took place in a classroom at La Salle High School, a Catholic school. The gunman, Joe Poynter, shot himself in the head in a suicide attempt. He is in critical condition at a local hospital. According to police, no known threats were made to any other students or staff. Police arrived immediately after the incident was reported

June 7, 2013: Santa Monica, California, 2013 Santa Monica shooting: Six people, including the shooter are dead and four others wounded at or near the campus of Santa Monica College when a lone gunman opened fire on the school campus library after shooting at several cars and a city bus at separate crime scenes. The gunman was fatally wounded by responding police officers. Among the dead are the shooter's father and brother, both of whom died near the Santa Monica College campus, inside a house that was set on fire.

August 20, 2013: Decatur, Georgia, A man with an AK-47 fired six shots inside the front office of Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy, an elementary school. After the gunman fired the shots, he barricaded himself in the office and police at the scene returned fire. Nobody was injured. Children had to leave the building and were being guided to a corner of a field, where they were picked up by their parents. The alleged gunman is a 20-year-old male named Michael Brandon Hill. In the front office of the school, Hill talked with Antoinette Tuff, a woman who worked in the front office, who had called 9-1-1. Tuff talked him down, and helped him surrender to the police before anyone was hurt. Hill was apprehended.

August 30, 2013: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, A 15-year-old student was shot in the neck and shoulder at Carver High School, at 2:30 PM. The victim was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. An 18-year-old student was apprehended by a school resource officer without incident. The suspected gunman is charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, carrying a concealed gun, possessing and discharging a firearm, and carrying a firearm onto educational property. The shooting was believed to be the result of an on-going dispute between the suspect and the victim.
Timeline taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States

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