From Church to Campus: Shootings, Often Sudden, Are Seldom Unexplained in Hindsight

Yesterday, two teenagers were injured after a hooded gunman opened fire at a church service in Richmond, Calif. The religious service at the New Gethsemane Church of God in Christ turned bloody when three hooded men came in and one of them opened fire. Late last week, a professor at the University of Alabama at Huntsville opened fire, killing three and wounding three, in the Shelby Centre, a math and science classroom building. Amy Bishop had, before this meeting, been denied tenure and had her appeal denied, too.

As with many workplace violence incidents, there were signs before the shootings. For example, there was a previous shooting near the church and police are now investigating a gang link to both. In Alabama, the shooter, Amy Bishop, in 1986 when she was 19, fatally shot her brother during an argument with a 12 gauge shot gun. No students were involved in the shooting.

There has been ongoing controversial for permitting concealed weapons on college campuses. Utah permits them, for example. Still, most college public safety directors are not in favor of such a move. Andy Pelosi, the director of the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, says, "This tragic incident shows once again that an angry individual with access to a deadly handgun can commit mass murder wherever people gather, in workplaces, shopping malls, churches, schools and yes, universities. This random and horrific attack also demonstrates the futility and irresponsibility of trying to force loaded and concealed handguns onto college campuses as the solution to prevent mass shootings and gun violence. Such a radical policy would risk the safety and security of every faculty member and student on campus on literally a continual basis.”

While school shootings such as the recent attack in Alabama receive a great deal of national attention, such incidents are extremely rare. The fact is that America's educational institutions are among the safest environments for students, faculty, and staff’ and much safer than the communities that surround them. A Department of Justice study found that 93 percent of violence against students occurs off campus.

A nationally regarded expert in workplace violence is a speaker at the unique iSecurity 2010, March 3, 2010, and hosted by Security Magazine and SDM Magazine.

iSecurity is an online event designed to put the information you need, the people you want to network with and the solution providers you want to hear from at your fingertips. Leveraging the power of the magazines’ virtual trade show platform with the unique and vital information from our community of experts and thought leaders, the speakers include W. Barry Nixon, Executive Director , National Institute for Prevention of Workplace Violence. His company is focused on assisting organizations effectively address the emerging issue of workplace violence from a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary viewpoint.

Registration for this Internet-based special event at: http://www.sdmmag.com/isecurity2010/HTML/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000741662