What Went Right During the Arapahoe High School Active Shooter Incident
Fast responses by the school custodian, teachers, SRO and security officer saved lives.
Very often after a tragedy we look at what was wrong and ways we can improve our responses. Although mistakes can be very effective teachers, we can learn from each other’s successes too.
Take, for example, how school staff, teachers, campus police and security personnel reacted during the active shooter incident that occurred at Arapahoe High School near Denver on Dec. 13. Local authorities are crediting their fast actions as the reason why more people weren’t killed or injured during the attack.
Shortly after the shooting began, a custodian quickly recognized what was happening and called for a lockdown of the campus, reports TheDenverChannel.com. The fact that the gunman’s target evacuated from the school probably also helped to reduce the amount of bloodshed. Additionally, teachers acted quickly, locking their classroom doors and having students shelter in place.
To top it all off, the armed SRO and unarmed security officer who rushed to where the shooter was located probably prompted the gunman to take his own life rather than continue shooting or searching for his target.
Although no one can ever bring back the student who died as a result of this incident — nor the shooter himself — we can use this incident as an example of how situational awareness and quick actions can save many lives.
Related Articles:
- Arapahoe High School Gunman Went Bowling Prior to Shooting
- Sheriff: SRO Actions at Colo. High School Saved Lives
- Key Takeaways from the Sandy Hook Elementary School Mass Shooting Report
- 7 Lessons Learned from Sandy Hook
- Protection Professionals Debate Campus Active Shooter Response
- 11 Components of a Secure School Front Entrance
- Survey: Sandy Hook Tragedy Prompted Significant Changes in School Security
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About the Author
Robin Hattersley, Editor-in-Chief
Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach.
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