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April has become one of the deadliest months for major campus massacres and homegrown terrorist activities in the U.S.  There’s no easy explanation for this, but consider:

• April 16, 2007 – Seung-Hui Cho shot and killed 32 people on the campus of Virginia Tech University – the deadliest one-man shooting rampage in modern U.S. history.  He then killed himself.
• April 20, 1999 – Two teenagers, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, killed 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. The gunmen also killed themselves.
• April 19, 1995 — In 1995, a truck bomb destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. The bomber, Timothy McVeigh, was later executed for the crime.
• April 19, 1993 — In 1993, federal agents invaded the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, after a 51-day siege. Eighty-one people died.

It’s interesting that each of these events occurred within the third week of the month.  Conspiracy theorists can have a field day with this, but I think don’t think it’s anything more than a copycat thing.

But how does this impact law enforcement and security directors?  They need to be extra vigilant during this time, making use of any and all intelligence to catch tips on plans by violent, upset individuals and organizations.  It’s a time to review emergency plans and make sure that procedures and technology are up-to-date for handling events that may occur.  Proper preparation is the best defense against these types of crimes.

Let’s hope that soon April is again synonymous with the start of a new baseball season and the showers that bring May flowers – not major massacres.

Posted on: Education - Tagged as: campus security, emergency plan, public security

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