1. Violence in the Workplace:
A Detailed Look Into Active Shooter Situations
Ryan Watson
Deron Grzetich
June 7th
, 2010

2. 2 Ryan Watson & Deron Grzetich
Abstract
Homicides in the workplace cost the lives of approximately 800 victims in the United States each
year. The following document will provide an in depth analysis ofthe major perpetrator in
nearly all workplace violence deaths,the active shooter. The relationships between the active
shooterand the victimwill be examined, and a statistical examination of the frequency of these
categorized incidents will be discussed. A detailed trend analysis of active shooter incidents will
provide a detailed breakdown of incident time frames and the effect increased incident response
times have on an active shootersituation. Investigation of real life active shooter incidents will
provide a profile ofcommonalities between real life active shooters and the facilities they choose
for their reign ofterror. Preventative and preparedness measures will be discussed forboth
employees and employers. Results of active shooter incident research will suggest that a well-
developed workplace violence (WPV) programand active shooter preparedness can be vital to
minimizing the damages caused in an active shooter situation.

3. 3 Ryan Watson & Deron Grzetich
Introduction
Trends in workplace violence continue to be a chilling reality forboth work providers, and the
consumers and employees that sustain the functionality ofthe provider. In her workplace
violence article, Black2
cites the Workplace Violence Institute’s definition of workplace violence
as being “any act against an employee that creates a hostile work environment and negatively
affects the employees, eitherphysically orpsychologically.” In the article “Workplace Violence
Is Increasing” by Bell1
, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) states that
there are approximately 2 million workplace violence incidents each year in the United States,
with an average of 700 incidents ending in homicide. Bell’s article also cites the Violence
Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles’s findings that “in the year 2000, homicide was the
third leading cause ofoccupational deaths in the United States and the leading cause ofdeath for
women in the workplace.”
A workplace violence incident can typically be defined in one of the below four categories:
Type I: Criminal Intent
Type II: Customer/Client or Service User
Type III: Worker-on-Worker
Type IV: Personal Relationship or Domestic
In a picture perfect world, employees and consumers could interact in work environments with
no fearof being victimized by physical or psychological abuse oreven worse being murdered. It
would be ideal for those everyday people who are unfortunate enough to suffer fromdomestic
violence orviolence in their respective communities to be able to view the workplace as a
sanctuary. A place where for a fewhours per day,these victims could feelsafe and put their
troubles behind them. Unfortunately,however, personal relationship violence often catches up
with individuals in the workplace. The combination ofviolent acts with criminal intent,
customer/client abuse, worker-on-worker violence, and domestic violence following a worker to
the workplace makes ‘going to work’ anything but a safe practice. Trends suggest that there will
likely be no decrease in workplace violence incidents anytime soon.
The following document will examine the most common causal role of workplace violence
homicides, the Active Shooter. Trends will suggest that a move should be made to not only
prevent active shootersituations, but to prepare heavily for them. Active shooter incidents are
usually unpredictable and the prevention/response measures in place, can typically limit the
duration of the event and effectively minimize WPVvictims.

4. 4 Ryan Watson & Deron Grzetich
Background
Traditionally, workplace violence research and prevention was focused on two types of acts: acts
with specific criminal intent; and patient assaults on health care providers. Workplace violence
incidents resulting in homicide and where the attacker acts with specific criminal intent continue
to be the most common category of fatalWPVevents. Research by Bell1
found that violent acts
by criminals with no relationship to the workplace other than to rob orperformanother crime,
make up approximately 85% of workplace homicides. Bell1
states that 7% of workplace
homicides are the result of worker-on-worker attacks, while the remaining 8% can be attributed
either customer-on-employee attacks ordomestic violence in the workplace.
It wasn’t until 1986 that workplace violence garnished the attention it deserved as being a major
role-player in the nation’s high homicide rate. Unfortunately, it took a massacre to get workplace
violence on researchers’ radars. On August 20th
, 1986, Patrick Sherrill walked in to his place of
employment, the Edmond, Oklahoma Post Office, and shot dead 14 people before taking his own
life. Sherrill had a troubled work history and quickly became the nation’s first symbol of a
‘disgruntled employee.’ Severalpostalservice workplace homicides had occurred prior to the
Edmond Post Office Massacre which resulted in the coining of the term“going postal.”
Active shootersituations have upheld a relatively steady rate of occurrence over the last 25 years
and continue to make up just a small percentage of workplace violence incidents. A publication
by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation7
estimates that of the average annual 1.7 million
workplace violence incidents from1993 to 1999, approximately 95 percent of the incidents were
“simple or aggravated assaults.” The FBI’s statistics showthat there is approximately 0.01
homicides per 1,000 persons in the workforce, making up just 0.1% of workplace violence
incidents.
Although the least common violent act of workplace victimization, it is obvious that homicide is
the most extreme. Appropriate prevention and response procedures should be implemented by
the employer. It is the work provider’s responsibility to ensure a safe environment for both its
employees and clientele. Section 5 ofthe OSHAct of 1970 states “Each employershall furnish
to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from
recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death orserious physical harmto his
employees.” It is imperative that employers establish a strict workplace violence policy,
implement necessary safeguards, increase WPVawareness amongst employees, and put in to
practice workplace violence emergency response procedures. As the research findings below
will show,homicidal workplace violence incidents continue to cost hundreds of lives each year.
There is no evidence to show there will be a decrease in fatal workplace violence incidents
anytime soon. The active shooter is and will continue to be the single largest contributor to
violent loss of life in the workplace. An employer’s workplace violence prevention and
awareness programs can be a majordetermining factorof how many lives are lost in these tragic
incidents.

5. 5 Ryan Watson & Deron Grzetich
Trends in Active Shooter Incidents
Incident Timeframes
One of the more interesting statistics revealed during research of this topic showed that the more
recent active shooter incidents are taking place in tighter timeframes with higher fatality and
injury rates. In the article “The Stopwatch of Death” by Borsch3
the authordetails how the
timeframes in which 44 active shooter incidents from1996 to 2009 have grown smaller by using
a formula of X =number of murder attempts/time in minutes. When Borsch tracked this for 44
incidents the trend showed that incidents are becoming more deadly and have a much shorter
duration fromstart to end.
Some of the more infamous active shooter incidents at schools are plotted on the graph below in
chronological order:
Froma law enforcement perspective the trend may showthat early response (i.e.not waiting for
SWAT) and proper training ofsmaller and more reactive entry teams may result in a lower
causality or injury rate. Froman employerstandpoint this also highlights that proper planning
for both first responders and employees is necessary to minimize the loss of life in an active
shootersituation.
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
Texas
Tower
San
Yasidro CA
McDonalds
Columbine Red Lake
MM
Dawson
College
Virginia
Tech
Trolley
Square
Utah
1966 1984 1999 2005 2006 2007 2007
0.5 0.5
2.1
1.5
2.9
7.9
1.5
X
X

6. 6 Ryan Watson & Deron Grzetich
Incident Locations andPerpetrators
While data exists on incidents which take place at a job site orplace ofbusiness the most
detailed statistics that are publicly available are related to incidents in schoolsettings. To
identify statistics fromboth schools and non-school incidentssources such as Borsch8
, Holology
Research9
, and the CDC4
were referenced. While none of the statistics allowed for a direct
comparison ofactive shooter incidents based on incident location,one takeaway fromthe review
was that the numberof homicides that resulted fromWPVincidents outside ofschools is much
greaterthan those ofschool massacres in the past.
The CDC’s report, which cited a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries report,showed that between 1992 and 2004 there were an average of 807 WPV
homicides. Reviewing the school shooting statistics fromthe same period showed a total of 69
homicides in USschools which translate into an average of 5 deaths per year10
. Regardless of
fact that the overall numberof fatalities is orders a magnitude smaller in incidents at schools they
tend to receive much more media attention than standard WPVincidents. Given the sensitive
nature of incidents ofschool violence, often involving minors and teachers, it is no surprise that
they garner media attention. However, it also leads to the statement fromthe CDC4
that “the
public is generally not aware ofeither the scope orthe prevalent types ofviolence at work.”
Perpetrators ofWPVincidents in both school and non-school settings are quite similar. Stress,
unstable mental health, feelings ofpersecution, and alienation top the list of triggers for acts of
WPV. For non-schoolsettings, fromBell1
the nine triggers that may lead to worker-on-worker
violence include:
 Excessive workload
 Inadequate time to complete the assigned task
 Poor supervision
 Uncertain organizational climate
 Insufficient authority to meet job responsibilities
 Unclear responsibilities or job functions
 Philosophicaldifferences between the organization and employee
 Unexpected orsignificant change at work or at home
 Unanswered orunresolved frustrations
Genderalso plays a role in WPVincidents. Only two incidents of homicides in schools have
been attributed to females. Again,statistics that illustrate the difference between the school and
non-schoolsettings was not readily available.

7. 7 Ryan Watson & Deron Grzetich
Since the motive for the action will not be made clearuntil afterthe incident has ended it is
helpful to understand the actions and state-of-mind of active shooters in order to prevent,detect,
or properly react to these situations. Research by Borsch8
showed (all bullets directly from
Borsch8
):
 98% of active killers act alone.
 80% have long guns, 75% have multiple weapons (about 3 per incident), and they
sometimes bring hundreds of extra rounds of ammunition to the shooting site.
 Despite such heavy armaments and an obsession with murder at close range, they have an
average hit rate of less than 50%.
 They strike “stunned, defenseless innocents via surprise ambush. On a level playing field,
the typical active killer would be a no-contest against anyone reasonably capable of
defending themselves.”
 “They absolutely control life and death until they stop at their leisure or are stopped.”
They do not take hostages,do not negotiate.
 They generally try to avoid police,do not hide or lie and wait forofficers and “typically
fold quickly upon armed confrontation.”
 90% commit suicide on-site. “Surrenderor escape attempts are unlikely.”
Preparation for Employees
In addition to supporting your first responders and lawenforcement, the WPVplan you put in
place should include an element oftraining for your employees. Some basic questions that must
be answered by the programinclude:
 What do Ineed to know?
 What should I do during an active shooter incident at my workplace?
 How do I interact with law enforcement or first responders during an incident?
First, employees should be aware of and periodically trained on yourorganization’s WPVplans.
This may include conveying a basic understanding ofthe risk that these events carry, however
care should be taken to reassure your employees that the organization has a detailed plan to deal
with an incident should it arise. Employees need to understand that they will be instrumental to
this plan should it be called into action. Second, employees should be taught the warning signs
forWPVand that any and all submissions to the WPVgroup will be dealt with in the most
confidential manner possible. If the employee sees something it is their duty to say something
and the old “an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure” adage truly does apply. There should
be a clear communication path to the WPVteamand all employees should know the numberor

8. 8 Ryan Watson & Deron Grzetich
contact method as part of the plan. Finally, it may also be difficult forsome employees to
discuss personal matters (i.e. spousal abuse,stalking, etc.), however employees should be
reassured ofconfidentiality of the matter and that the WPVteamis here to assist the employee.
During an incident youremployee’s assistance will be key to limiting the fatalities and injury
that may result froman active shootersituation. Employees should be taught to remain calm,
how to report the incident, to secure their immediate area, reassure others if possible, and
administer first aid.
If the employee is in a situation that allows themto report the incident in progress they should be
taught to report:
 Location of the incident (floor, direction,office number, etc.) and numberof people at
your location
 Number and type of injuries (if any)
 Physical characteristics of the suspect(s)such as race, gender, clothing,physical features
 Weapons involved and/or other items being carried by the suspect(s)
 Direction ofthe suspect(s) (i.e. are they standing in the office space, moving fromoffice
to office, etc.)
It may be that the employee reporting the incident to lawenforcement may also have first-hand
knowledge of the shooter(s). If that is the case they should be directed to report the suspect(s)
name when giving their report.
Employees should be taught to secure their immediate area by locking doors, closing blinds,
turning off orsilencing electronics that may alert the shooterto their presence. If door locks are
not present then doors should be blocked by any means necessary (desks, chairs, think Blues
Brothers at City Hall, etc.). Stay out ofsight and remain covered up, under, orbehind any solid
object such as a desk,bookcase, or other large object. In addition to remaining calm, employees
should reassure others which may be in a state of panic to remain calmand quiet until help
arrives. The situation may also arise where an employee finds herself in an open area during the
incident. If that is the case employees should be trained on how to take coverand to put as many
physical barriers between the shooter and employees as possible. Finally, if a secure area has
been created it may be possible for employees trained in first aid to begin to assist the injured.
Employees should also understand what will happen once first responders or law enforcement
arrive. It is important to train the employees in howto deal with lawenforcement as they
attempt to secure the scene. Employees should understand:
 Law enforcement may not attempt to treat injured victimuntil a secure scene is
established (generally after the active shooter has been captured, but more likely after
they have been cornered and have taken their own life).
 Assure those injured that medical attention will arrive as soon as it is safe.

9. 9 Ryan Watson & Deron Grzetich
 Law enforcement or first responders may attempt to create a strongpoint to allow forsafe
exit fromthe building orarea of immediate danger. If this is the case employees should
follow any and all instructions given.
 Law enforcement may not know you are not the shooter. Until the scene is safe all
employees on the scene are potentialsuspects. Be prepared to be searched.
 Remain calmwhen interacting with law enforcement during an incident. Do not yell,
shout, point, run,or move quickly. Listen to and follow all instructions given by law
enforcement.
Preparation for the Employer
Aside froma company’s workplace violence policy and invaluable employee awareness training,
an employershould take advantage of resources that are already in place, or that could be in
place with proper funding. Physicalprotection systems such as access control systems are a
control that, when implemented correctly, can provide an effective means foractive shooter
incident prevention and control.
Access control systems are increasingly implemented in small to medium-sized offices buildings,
large multi-site business campuses, high-rises,government buildings, hospitals, and school
campuses. An employershould take advantage of the many features provided by an access
controlsystem, many which could prevent orsignificantly lessen the impact of an active shooter.
 The access control systemshould be programmed in such a manner that personnel and
guests only have access to the spaces they require access to.
 A strict procedure for card distribution should be in place preventing loose distribution of
access cards and unauthorized individuals fromobtaining access to the protected facility.
 Terminated employees (both voluntary and involuntary) should be required to turn in
their key cards immediately following their termination with the workprovider. Access
rights to the card should be immediately revoked upon employee termination.
 Lobby security / reception personnelshould be informed of terminations (especially
involuntary)so they do not unknowingly allow access to a terminated employee who
states that he/she “forgot my access card.” Lobby security and receptionists see the same
personnel everyday and as a result often establish trust that they are still authorized for
access to the facility.
An access control systemdoes not only limit access,but it keeps real-time records of card
swipes. Should an active shooter be moving through the facility with an access control card,
real-time monitoring of his movements can be performed via an access controlsystem’s
monitoring interface. When monitoring is being performed onsite, first responders could gain a
significant advantage by monitoring an active shooter’s live card swipes.

10. 10 Ryan Watson & Deron Grzetich
Access control systems provide an employer with the ability to integrate duress buttons and to
designate emergency response cards that can provide various functionalities during an active
shootersituation.
 On December 8th
, 2006, Joe Jackson held a security guard hostage and threatened to
shoot the guard if he did not take himto the 38th
flooroffices ofWood, Phillips, Katz,
Clark & Mortimer, a Chicago law firm. Jackson, an angry client who felt that his
attorney had prevented himfromgetting a patent for a truck toilet he had designed,
entered the offices as a result ofthe security guard swiping his access control card. From
there,havoc ensued as Jackson chained the office doors shut and began killing lawyers.
Jackson shot his designated attorney in the head and began walking fromoffice to office
asking each occupant if he/she was an attorney. Anyone who informed Jackson they
were an attorney was shot and killed. The incident ended when Jackson, who at this time
had killed 3 people and was holding anotherhostage, was shot and killed by a memberof
the Chicago Police SWAT Team. An emergency alert card could have provided an
effective means of alerting authorities of the incident before the killing occurred. On
most access control systems,an access control key card can be programmed so that
triggers an alert to the monitoring party. Each security guard should be assigned a card to
use for regular access and a card to only be used in duress. Had the security guard had
this option, the first time he swiped the access control card on a reader, a emergency
duress alert would have been sent to the access controlsystem’s monitoring station for
notification of the incident. The hostage would still have gained access to the space, but
a duress alert,unknowingly to the active shooter would have been triggered, before the
shooterbegan his killing. As Borsch3
has highlighted in his article “The Stopwatch of
Death,” “the shortest response time saves lives.”
 Access control cards can also be programmed so that the swipe of a designated
‘lockdown card’ can lock down eitheran entire ora designated portion ofa facility’s
access control card readers. For example, if an active shooterhad an authorized access
control card in his/herpossession,the swipe of a ‘lockdown card’ could effectively trap
or at least inhibit his/her movement throughout a space.
 Many modern access control systems have the same capability as described above in that
pre-determined threat levels can be set to initiate the lockdown of a portion or an entire
access controlsystem. For example, in the Virginia Tech massacre, the assailant shot and
killed two victims in a dormbefore moving to a lecture hall to continue his onslaught.
The original report between law enforcement and campus officials was that a domestic
altercation with shots fired had taken place in a dormitory. Assuming a campus-wide
access controlsystemwas in place,setting a threat level to ‘Red’could have locked down
all campus buildings and prevented the active shooter’s ability to move unrestricted
throughout the campus.
An employer should be recognizant ofthe fact that the resources available to it, may not be
available to the first responders. Likewise, the physical protection systems that an active shooter
faces must be faced by the first responders. Therefore, an employer should put together a couple
of “Go-To Bags” available for first responders upon arrival to the facility. Facilities can consist
of various locking mechanisms, multi-tenant access control systems, and confusing floor layouts.

11. 11 Ryan Watson & Deron Grzetich
A “Go-To-Bag” serves as an easy and invaluable tool for first responders. More than one “Go-
To-Bag” should be created since first responders will likely arrive intermittently.
The “Go-To-Bag” should consist of items essential forsmooth movement throughout a facility.
Access control cards with access to all doors and master keys should be provided. Floorplans
labeling access control card readers,cameras, and othervaluable information should be provided
to first responders, as it is likely the first time any of themhave been on site. Internal two-way
radios can be useful to first responders because depending on where they are in a facility
(especially hi-rises and industrial buildings), their radios may not be able to perform.
Communication is key to their response capabilities. To prevent misuse of the bag or any of its
contents secure it with a security seal and examine the integrity ofthe seal regularly. “Go-To-
Bags” should be provided to building security lobbies or to whomever will be the first point of
contact in the event of an emergency. If onsite security is not present,building engineers are a
good candidates to distribute the “Go-To-Bags” because they are often 24x7, typically already
have access to restricted spaces and would not misuse a bag’s contents, and can provide first
responders with firsthand knowledge of a facility’s layout.
Conclusion
What is clear fromthe research is that acts of workplace violence occur at a much higher rate
than are currently exposed by the media. In addition,these acts are trending towards higher
numbers of fatalities in shorter timeframes. Although school incidents garner much more media
attention, acts of workplace violence outside ofschool settings account for more than one
hundred times the numberof fatalities each year. This is an issue that all employers must face
head on. Employers have a responsibility to their employees to ensure that WPVprograms are
in place and effective. Response time and proper planning on both the employer and employees
part is necessary to minimumthe numberof fatalities or injuries fromthese acts ofviolence.
This state of readiness can be achieved through a well documented WPVplan, proper
preparation in the formofgo-to-bags for first responders, and regular training for all employees.

12. 12 Ryan Watson & Deron Grzetich
References
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http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/mass/work_homicide/3.html
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17_workplace_violence_definition_raymond_clark_.html
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The-Stopwatch-of-Death
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http://holology.com/shooting.html#cls
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