Active shooters sometimes present violence indicators prior to enacting the incident. All employees should be on the lookout for potentially violent behavior indicators. These might include:
- Explosive outbursts
- Irritability or intense anger from minor events
- Depression or withdrawal from usual activities
- Paranoia
- Talk of financial problems
- Repeated violations of company policies
- Talks of previous incidents of violence
These may be exhibited by both current and former employees. If you feel an employee exhibits potentially violent behavior, report them to your supervisor and/or human resources, so they are aware of the situation.
Your HR department can help mitigate potentially violent behavior and prevent active shooter incidents. They should effectively screen all employees and perform thorough background checks. They should also create a system for reporting signs of potentially violent behavior. They can also make counseling services available to employees.
Your managers can help by facilitating a respectful workplace environment and training employees on how to respond to an active shooter incident.
