Another mass shooting took place at an unarmed public location; this seems to be the place of choice for these would-be attackers. Most 94% of these mass shootings have taken place at locations lacking armed security or places that openly post being a gun-free zone. Such has been Walmart’s very public policy over the last few years.

When it comes to mass shootings at the workplace, the shooter is an insider 91% of the time, which Homeland Security says is often the most overlooked risk. Nobody thinks it will be the person they have been working with for years or often decades. While not every individual will show signs of being an internal risk, the majority of individuals will. We all hear about the exhaustive eyewitness accounts describing all the signs they saw that were ignored by the people who were in charge. The same people could have ultimately made a difference.

I will go over some of the common signs that can help you recognize individuals who may pose an internal risk to your facility. Most shooters exhibit between 1 to 5 or more of these behaviors.

List of potential risks

• Experiencing a serious life crisis that is unresolved over a period of days, weeks, months, or even years. 80% of mass shooters were in a noticeable crisis prior to their shooting.
• Increased agitation due to trouble at home or dissatisfaction with Management/Ownership or policies or procedures.
• Experiencing excessive home stress or financial/ medical stressors.
• Becoming uncharacteristically withdrawn, isolated, and losing touch with reality.
• Demonstrating suicidal or depressed behavior.
• Vocalizing fantasies of hurting people that they work with.
• Has a background of abusive behavior at work or at home.
• Having a sudden decline in their productivity or a lack of caring for their
• environment.
• Experiencing mood swings.
• Experiencing paranoia.
• Dramatic changes in their body language.

It is also important to understand that with proper and early intervention in these cases we can often get a person the help they need and prevent them from becoming a threat. This requires us to keep a pulse on our community and those we work with. If we see something, we say something. By exhibiting a little more care, attention, and empathy in our everyday dealings with our coworkers and daily passersby, we can help prevent or spot many risks before they become a threat.

"It is important to understand that not everyone will show all or any of these signs. The best way to understand if your employees may become a risk is by creating an active and dynamic company culture where people feel welcome. A place where employees build a sense of community and belonging that encourages open communication and a belief that they work in a place that genuinely cares for them and their well-being. When people feel cared for, they are inclined to open up about their issues. This can, in turn, allow an employer to be proactive when working with their employees to get the appropriate help. We are all in this together. Let's take time to look out for each other so we can better prevent these senseless crimes that result in the loss of many innocent lives."

~Shane Ammerman- CEO/Founder