Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of human aggression and the roots of violence and violent crime, shares four valuable points relating to the horrific massacre at Red Lake High School in Red Lake, Minn., on Monday.
Lt. Col. Grossman writes,
A few key items from first analysis of the Red Lake, Minn., school massacre:
- The shooter seems to have taken out the security guard first. If there is armed security at the school then a shooting is less likely to happen. But, if it DOES happen anyway, the security is almost always the first (planned) target, usually taken out in an ambush. School resource officers must have irregular, unpredictable patterns in the school, and they must constantly be on the alert. Most of all, they must remember that armed security posturing predictably out front is not security: it is a human sacrifice waiting to happen.
- Lockdown seemed to have worked. The kids locked in one classroom were safe, apparently because the killer couldn’t break down their door. But if there are glass panels in the doors/walls, a lockdown like this is not an option. Those kids would probably have been dead if there were glass panels in that classroom door/wall.
- As soon as a cop (or anyone!) shoots back, the killer almost always gives up immediately. (Often, as in this case, by committing suicide.) The killer showed up for a massacre, not a gunfight. ANYONE who can shoot back will usually bring the rampage to a sudden halt. In every case where we have specific data, the killers “trained” on video games where their electronic “victims” can’t hurt them back. These pathetic little cowards don’t do contact sports, martial arts, or paintball, where they might get hurt. They have no experience or capacity for “real” danger. As soon as the survival instinct perceives that they could be hurt(!) the game is “over” for them.
- Initial reports stated that the suspect was wearing body armor that was stolen from a law enforcement officer. Now killers are showing up with body armor and long guns! (In this case it was reportedly a shotgun.) We need rifles to penetrate body armor!
There will likely be copycat crimes in light of the wave of high-profile media attention this incident is getting, so officers nationwide should be prepared! Rapid response saves lives!
Lt. Col. Grossman’s Police1 Forum is available for members to discuss this issue and other related issues. Feel free to post any thoughts or questions you may have to Lt. Col. Grossman and he will try to respond in a timely manner.
Dave Grossman, Lt. Col., USA (ret)
Author:
On Killing : The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society
Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill : A Call to Action Against TV, Movie and Video Game Violence
On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace
For more on Lt. Col. Grossman and his work, visit www.killology.com