Earlier this week, a student shot four people at Wilmer-Hutchins high school in Dallas.
I found this article that provides an excellent summary of the incident. The link shows video of how the shooter got past the school metal detectors as well as of the shooting itself.
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/dallas-wilmer-hutchins-high-school-shooting-suspect-tracy-haynes-jr-arrest-affidavit-video/
Two quick thoughts (as I just got back from Japan and am dealing with the jet lag associated with the 14-hour time difference).
#1-As noted in this article, most recent school shootings happen in common areas between classes or before/after the school is actually in session. This shooting happened in a hallway around 1 pm. With the volume of students present, I would presume it is between classes.
If your child’s school isn’t practicing shooting response drills in common areas outside the classroom, their preparations are simply inadequate.
#2- The shooter’s gun malfunctioned. From the article:
“Haynes Jr. allegedly walked down a hallway until he saw multiple male students, displayed a firearm and fired at them, the affidavit said. Then, Haynes Jr. allegedly approached one student who wasn’t able to run away and appeared to take a point-blank shot. DISD police confirmed that the suspect’s gun jammed while he was firing at point-blank range, likely saving that individual’s life. ”
I’ve compiled a massive list of active killer events where shooters’ guns have malfunctioned or run out of ammunition. The same article contains pictures and videos about how to identify a malfunction/empty gun that you can share with your friends or family who aren’t familiar with guns.
Weapon Malfunctions in an Active Shooter Event
It wouldn’t hurt to review this information with your kids.