Author: Tyler Weston, CEO - Safer with SCOUT
I know it’s an odd title, but that’s the point. There’s an axiom among gun enthusiasts that says, “Guns hurt people in the same manner as spoons make people unhealthy.” Now, I’m not here to get into the “firearms debate” but rather to point out that both guns and spoons are “tools of INTENT.” Suppose someone makes a
bad choice to hurt themselves (or someone else) with any form of weapon.
In that case, it’s akin to anindividual making the bad choice to repeatedly put horrible things into their body with an eating utensil, inthat it requires a PERSONAL DECISION.
What does this have to do with workplace violence? Well, that, too, begins with a personal choice/decision – a choice to inflict harm and create chaos. As with any bad choice, there are signs, markers, and behaviors that can, in most cases, provide an early warning to others of imminent harm. An FBI study in 2018 titled, A Study of Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States Between 2000 and 2013, concluded that an
individual planning a violent event will convey four to five red flags over a period of me that are observable. The study defines these red flags as “frequently occurring concerning behaviors.” So, what should we, as responsible citizens, look for and be aware of? The same FBI study alluded to above states that the most frequently occurring concerning behaviors that a shooter exhibited leading up to their attack were related to the shooter’s mental health, problematic interpersonal interactions, and leakage of violent intent. Another noteworthy statastic in this study is that when concerning behavior was observed (from
collection of data from previous active shooter incidents where third parties had been interviewed postincident), 83% of third parties only communicated directly to the would-be shooter, and 54% of people who observed concerning behavior did nothing. The point is that many people observe and recognize concerning behavior yet fail to tell anyone, including law enforcement. This is a statastic that we as a society need to get a whole lot better on.
Now, even though there are hundreds of mass shootings in the U.S. every year, with more than two-thirds of them occurring in the workplace, there are thousands upon thousands of mass shootings that are averted due to someone alerting the proper authorities about an individual’s observed concerning behavior. Though that may immediately feel reassuring, please understand that there are thousands upon thousands of people every day thinking about and actively preparing to harm others. That alone is why we need to be prepared, be
situationally aware, and know what to look for and when we should make a report. For this discussion, below, I will detail the three most frequently occurring concerning behaviors as outlined in the study conducted by the FBI.
Most Frequently Occurring Concerning Behaviors
1. Mental Health
According to the National Association on Mental Illness (2021), 57.8 million U.S. adults (1 in 5) experience some form of mental illness. Of those who experience mental illness, 14.1 million are experiencing serious mental illness (1 in 20 adults). Finally, 19.4 million U.S. adults are experiencing co-occurring substance abuse disorder and mental illness. In the pre-attack behaviors study conducted by the FBI, the study notes common stressors found to have been present in active shooters. The number one stressor found in 62% of active shooters was mental health. However, the study points out that “the stressor of mental health is not synonymous with a diagnosis of mental illness.” Of the 63 active shooters studied by the FBI, only 16 of them had been diagnosed with a mental illness by a mental health professional. Still, two-thirds of them indicated observable behavior consistent with depression, anxiety, and/or paranoia in the year before their attack. Of the 16 active shooters with a clinical diagnosis of mental illness, 12 were diagnosed with mood disorder, four with anxiety disorder, three with psychotic disorder, and two with personality disorder.
It is essential to point out that just because someone has been diagnosed with a mental illness, it does not predispose them to violence. However, this data shows that some people who are experiencing mental health situations 1. Fail to seek adequate medical help, and 2. Often exhibit long-term signs and behaviors of mental health problems before committing a violent act. It is also important to note that almost half (30) of the active shooters studied had suicidal ideation or had attempted suicide within their lifetime. Of those 30, 70% had suicidal ideation or a suicide attempt(s) that occurred within one year of their attack.
2. Problematic Interpersonal Interactions
It is assumed by many people after a violent act or mass shooting that the shooter was cut off from society and/or was a “loner.” However, as the FBI study notes, this is untrue. In fact, the study shows that most active shooters (86%) had significant in-person social interactions with at least one person before their attack. More than 25% of shooters had significant online interactions with people within the year of their attack, and all shooters either lived with someone and had significant in-person or online interactions before their attack. Where the problematic interpersonal interactions come into play is that 79% of active shooters studied showed to have a perceived personal grievance – and not necessarily based in reality – with an individual, a group of people, or a situation they experienced where the shooter believed they were wronged or treated unfairly.
The problematic interpersonal interactions often occurred (in order of significance) with schoolmates, spouses/domestic partners, teachers/school staff, family member(s), friend(s), co-worker(s), neighbors, law enforcement, online individuals, or religious mentors. To these individuals, active shooters displayed observed concerning behaviors in the year leading up to their attack in the forms of direct threats/confrontations, anger, physical aggression, recklessness, declining quality of the active shooter’s thinking or communication, abusive behavior, harassing behavior, bullying, workplace intimidation, intimate partner violence, or engaging in stalking-related conduct.
3. Leakage of Violent Intent
Of the active shooters studied, more than half of them made threats to or had a prior confrontation with their intended target(s) before their attack. What is more concerning is that 95% of the shooters made their threat or had a confrontation in person. Beyond that, the vast majority of shooters leaked their violent intent to a third party, often numerous times, in the year prior to their attack. Leakage of violent intent was found to be contained in statements of feelings and/or fantasies about committing violence, stating the desire to harm others and referencing the ability to harm others. However, leakage of violent intent is not just done using verbal clues but also can be done in writing (artwork, poetry, journals, school/work assignments, blogs, tweets, texts, online postings, etc.). It is important to note that not all leakage of violent intent is solely focused on the shooter’s eventual target. In less than half of the shooters studied by the FBI, the shooter’s eventual target was directly mentioned in their leaked violent intent leading up to their attack. When the shooter’s eventual target was mentioned, it was mostly done to a third party with direct statements specifically outlining the intent to harm the target.
Important Factors for Consideration
At the beginning of this discussion, I stated that conducting a violent act requires a personal choice/decision to do so. I also noted that there are, on average, four to five red flags exhibited by those who intend to do violence in the form of frequently occurring concerning observable behaviors. Lastly, I discussed, in detail, the three most common forms of concerning behavior exhibited by shooters. However, I would be doing a disservice by not mentioning other factors that must be considered and recognized to help prevent a potential violent act from occurring. Below is an outline of other important factors.
Shooter Demographics:
1. 40 to 49 years of age was the most prevalent age group for studied active shooters.
2. 94% of active shooters were males, and 63% were white.
3. 36% had an unknown level of education, while 20% had completed at least high school
4. 44% were employed at the time of their attack, and 38% were unemployed.
5. More than 80% of studied adult active shooters had no prior criminal convictions.
6. Two-thirds of active shooters planned their attack for over one month and up to 24 months.
7. 76% of active shooters spent 24 hours to one month actively preparing for their attack, and 59% of shooters obtained the firearm used in their attack during their preparation period.
Stressors (physical, psychological, and social)
*In order of significance
1. Mental Health
2. Financial Strain
3. Employment-related
4. Conflicts with friends/peers
5. Marital Problems
6. Drug/Alcohol Abuse
7. Conflicts at School
8. Physical Injury
9. Conflicts with Parents
10. Conflicts with Family Members
11. Sexual Stress/Frustration
12. Criminal Problems
13. Civil Problems
14. Death of a Friend/Relative
Other Concerning Behaviors (not mentioned previously)
*In order of significance
1. Declining Work Performance
2. Declining School Performance
3. Unnecessary Risk-Taking
4. Firearm Acquisition
5. Violent Media Usage
6. Loss of Weight/Loss of Appetite
7. Drug Abuse
8. Impulsive Behavior
9. Alcohol Abuse
10. Declining Physical Health
11. Erratic Sexual Behavior
12. Quality of Sleep
13. Declining Hygiene and/or Appearance
**On average, the first instance of concerning behavior occurred 25+ months before the attack.
Primary Grievance (of shooter)
*In order of significance
1. Adverse interpersonal action against the shooter
2. Adverse employment action against the shooter
3. General hatred of others
4. Adverse governmental action against the shooter
5. Adverse academic action against the shooter
6. Adverse financial action against the shooter
7. Domestic
8. Hate crime
9. Ideology/extremism
10. Unknown
**50 of the 63 shooters studied had a triggering event related to a grievance, with the most common triggering events being adverse ruling in a legal matter, romantic rejection, and loss of employment.
Conclusion
Instances of workplace violence, including mass shootings in the workplace, are unfortunate events that are becoming more prevalent in today’s society, and we are all bearing witness to these terrible acts. The frequency of mass shootings, regardless of location, has been increasing at an alarming rate – almost doubling year-over-year – since the COVID-19 pandemic. Our job is to educate ourselves on what we should be looking for and, more importantly, the behaviors we may witness that should be cause for legitimate concern. More importantly, our job extends beyond that of just witnessing concerning behavior. We also MUST report such behavior to those with the authority to investigate the situation hastily. Those who intend to commit an act of workplace violence almost always tip their hand once they have made the personal decision to do so. We MUST recognize these threats/behaviors and TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY. Through vigilance, constant awareness, and communication, we can buck the trend of increasing workplace violence and watch the occurrences fall, not continue to rise… we owe it to our friends, families, coworkers, and neighbors, and most importantly, we owe it to ourselves.
References
https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/pre-attack-behaviors-of-active-shooters-in-us-2000-2013.pdf/view
Please visit us at www.noblesix.us or www.saferwithscout.com for more information.
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