SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: THE FLAW IS THE HUMAN FACTOR

The state of Virginia points to the millions of dollars it has spent on security systems as proof Virginia schools are safe. Yes, Richmond has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on electronic security systems; yes, it has developed new security procedures. What Virginia officials don’t say is that everything was in place on April 16, 2007 to prevent the slaughter of 30 people and wounding of 17 others in Norris Hall. No new electronic security system was needed.

What Virginia state officials fail to mention is that no one was ever held accountable for incompetence—specifically for failing to initiate the warning and lockdown.

No matter how much is spent on security, it always boils down to the human factor, and until someone is held accountable for his or her actions or inactions leading to mass murder, the state’s schools will not be measurably safer. The flaw is always the human factor.

So, what should be done in Virginia to prevent another Appalachian School of Law slaughter or a repeat of the April 16, 2007 tragedy at Blacksburg? A great deal, and here are three places to start:

First, the Virginia legislature should adopt a law stating that if a faculty or staff member identifies a student as mentally unbalanced and potentially violent, the student must be referred to mental health authorities for evaluation. At the same time an alert should be issued to all gun stores banning the sale of weapons and ammunition to that individual. Any person selling a gun to someone for whom a warning has been issued should serve a mandatory, long jail sentence.

Second—and by law—all educational facilities in Virginia, both public and private, should have in place a mandatory emergency plan. All presidents of the state’s colleges and universities should be required to annually read and understand their school’s security plans, and to sign that they have done so

Third, in the event of any shooting on or near school grounds, the school should immediately lockdown. Police should be called and posted around the facility until it is clear that the shooter has been captured. (To be continued)