Just last week, we were all remembering the one-year anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting. Then, three days later, it happened again. An active shooter situation, that is. Only this time in a manufacturing plant in Aurora, Illinois. There, a disgruntled employee of the company opened fire, killing five people and injuring several others, including five police officers.
If you think the words “active shooter” are in the news more and more often these days, you’re absolutely right. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there have been 250 active shooter incidents in the U.S. from 2000 to 2017 alone. Sadly, these shootings resulted in 2,217 casualties, including 799 deaths and 1,418 injuries.
As evidenced by the following FBI graphic, active shooter events can, and do, happen anywhere. Schools, businesses, malls, government offices, places of worship. No one and no place is immune, which drives the need for preparedness.