Читать книгу Disaster Response and Recovery - David A. McEntire - Страница 54

Mass shootings are one example of civil/conflict hazards. Because of constitutional rights, people have armed themselves with weapons in the United States. Unfortunately, a small portion of these individuals have shot others due to disagreements or for unknown reasons. It appears that these events have sadly become more common over the past two decades. Shootings at schools occurred frequently in the late 1990s in Pearl, MS; Paducah, KN; Jonesborough, AR; Springfield, OR.; Conyers, GA; Atlanta, GA and Pelham, AL. Other events have been especially devastating:

 On April 20, 1999, two disgruntled students entered Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colorado. Besides placing and detonating several bombs in and around this educational facility, the students fired into the crowded cafeteria and library areas. By the time the perpetrators committed suicide, 12 students and 1 teacher were killed, and 24 others were injured. The incident prompted a national review of how to respond to mass shootings, and the lessons gleaned have had a major impact on law enforcement policies and procedures.

 On September 15, 1999, a gunman walked into youth rally and discharged to weapons into the congregation at a church in Fort Worth, Texas. Seven people were killed. Numerous others were injured and had to be quickly taken to area hospitals.

 In October of 2002, there were several sniper shootings that occurred over a period of several weeks at numerous locations in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. One man and one minor were responsible for killing 10 people and injuring 3 others. These serial murderers prompted a massive investigation and illustrated the difficulty of capturing those involved in such episodes of violence.

 On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting occurred inside a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. A gunman used multiple weapons of weapons to attack his victims, ultimately killing 12 people and wounding over 50 others.

 On December 14, 2012, a horrific school shooting took place in Connecticut at Sandy Hook Elementary. Twenty children and six adults were murdered by a 20‐year‐old gunman. Those that survived the mass shooting and some emergency personnel that rushed to the scene to help have had an extremely difficult time coping with this traumatic event.

 On September 16, 2013, a man who was discharged from the military entered a Washington Navy Yard. He opened fire, killing 12 and injuring several others.

 On February 14, 2018, a lone gunman used a semi‐automatic rifle to shoot numerous people at the Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. This event became the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history and promoted many reforms in gun laws in this state and elsewhere across America.

 One December 29, 2019, a man pulled out a shotgun in a church in White Settlement, Texas. The man shot and killed two individuals and would have likely killed others, but he was taken out by two volunteer members of the church’s security team who returned fire with their own weapons. The Texas Department of Public Safety described their quick actions as “heroic.”

Each of these events has prompted additional discussion about mental health and gun control issues. They have also created a need for better prepared police officers and emergency medical technicians. Mass shootings illustrate that emergency managers must not overlook the potential impact of deranged individuals who take pleasure in inflicting mass death upon others.