The United States federal government defines an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has expanded the definition to “include one or more individual(s) in an incident and omits the word confined as the term excludes incidents that occurred outside buildings. The FBI recently released its 2023 Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Report. The report provides an overview of active shooter incidents to help law enforcement, emergency personnel, first responders, and the public better understand threats associated with active shooter incidents.
The uptick in gun violence means American business and community leaders need to reconsider how they approach safety. Effective safety plans can be implemented with proper research and inquiry into what safety solutions will work for your organization. Leaders in various sectors are beginning to leverage innovations—such as wearable panic button technology—to supplement their existing safety and security plans.
FBI Report Key Findings
In 2023, the FBI designated 48 shootings as active shooter incidents. Here are the main findings:
Although incidents decreased by 4% from 2022 to 2023 (50 incidents), active shooter incidents have increased by 60% since 2019 (30 incidents). The 48 active shooter incidents that occurred in 2023 took place in 26 states in various settings, including open space, commerce, education, healthcare, and residences.
The FBI designated 229 active shooter incidents from 2019 to 2023. This is an 89% increase in active shooter incidents (121) from the previous five-year period (2014–2018). The 229 active shooter incidents from 2019 to 2023 took place in 44 states and the District of Columbia and represent seven settings including commerce, open space, education, government, residence, healthcare, and place of worship.
Additional findings from the 2023 report include:
- Of the 244 casualties, 105 were killed and 139 wounded.
- In the incident with the highest number of casualties (31), 18 were killed and 13 wounded.
- CA had the most incidents (8) followed by Texas and Washington, both with 4 incidents.
- Fifteen incidents met the federal definition of a mass killing event.
- Incidents happen most often in open spaces, commerce, healthcare, and schools.
Where Active Shooter Situations Arise
The FBI report measured 2023 active shooter situations that arose in eight different settings: open space, commerce, education, healthcare, residence, government, house of worship, and “other.” Here’s the number of incidents by location category:
- Open space (28)
- Commerce (14)
- Education (3)
- Healthcare (2)
- Residence (1)
Vulnerable settings, like healthcare centers and schools, merit a closer look at safety procedures and plans to reduce gun violence and consequently the possibility of active shooter situations.
Safety in Schools
The FBI report provides a snapshot of the active shooter incidents that occurred in education. Of the 48 incidents in 2023, 6% occurred in education settings. Here are some other key findings relevant to the education setting:
- Two incidents occurred at higher education institutions.
- One incident occurred at a pre-K through 12th-grade school.
- There were 19 total casualties in education, with 7 wounded and 12 killed.
Emergencies happen—whether medical crises, natural disasters, or active shooter situations— and when they do, every second matters. Schools can give staff, faculty, and students peace of mind about their safety by implementing a reliable school alert system, complete with innovations such as wearable panic button technology.
Safety in Healthcare Organizations
Of the 48 active shooter incidents in 2023, 4% took place in a healthcare setting. Here are some key findings related to healthcare active shooter situations:
- One incident happened at a hospital.
- One incident happened at a clinic.
- One shooter had a connection to the location as a former patient.
- There were 6 total casualties, with 4 wounded and 2 killed.
Violence in healthcare is not limited to active shooter situations. 82% of nurses experienced workplace violence in 2023, and 45% of nurses saw an increase in workplace violence in the past year.
Healthcare industry leaders can mitigate these statistics and create meaningful change in their organizations by cultivating a culture of safety. Implementing a reliable safety plan can support leaders in ensuring staff and patients feel safe. Because every second matters in an emergency situation, investing in automated safety response gear such as wearable panic button technology should be the foundation of your layered safety plan, empowering timely response to emergencies.
Prevention, Response, and Recovery
In its concluding statement, the FBI report “emphasized the importance of active shooter training and exercises for law enforcement, first responders, and civilians.” The FBI goes on to state that it is “imperative that civilians recognize risks and access available resources to prepare, prevent, and survive an active shooter attack.”
Increased gun violence means community and industry leaders have a duty to proactively invest in safety measures that effectively mitigate the risk of harm, injury, and death. A multi-layered, comprehensive, well-assessed approach to safety is imperative to fostering a culture of safety and security at any organization. For schools—from pre-K to higher education—a school alert system paired with wearable panic button technology could be the difference between an immediate emergency response and a communication breakdown. The same is true for healthcare organizations, where safety requires a look at current policies and procedures in conjunction with evaluating the efficacy of technology.
Additionally, the FBI report suggests that a timely response—paired with adequate training—can help organizations across many sectors be prepared in the event of an active shooter situation. Thus, investing in a school alert system with tools that are easy to implement and use, and allow for immediate notification to authorities is an effective way to proactively tackle active shooter situations. One safety innovator offers its users wearable panic buttons that allow for contact with 911 operators with the press of one button—and it all happens in under three minutes. One school system’s superintendent testified to the efficacy of wearable panic buttons in situations where 911 needs to be contacted immediately:
“The idea that anybody can call a lockdown is huge. And not only that, 911 is notified immediately, and they have the location of who activated the lockdown with an app…Each time someone activates, it’s gonna give you a new location as well. You have instant knowledge of where it occurs. It saves time. You don’t have to pick up a phone to call 911. It’s already dialed. 911 help is on the way.”
When choosing a school alert system or evaluating a healthcare organization’s safety plan, consider investing in reliable technology. Wearable panic button technology is an effective safety solution that empowers those in any industry or setting to quickly request help—with only the press of a button. Hospitals were the first to adopt wearable panic buttons as part of their workplace violence safety plans, but wearable panic button technology is not limited to the healthcare setting. Wearable panic buttons are the perfect addition to a school alert system, hospitality business, government offices, and more. The secret: simplicity and reliability.
The CENTEGIX Safety Platform: Safety Solutions Built for Rapid Response
Addressing violence in healthcare and education plus evaluating safety technology can be stressful—but it doesn’t have to be. CENTEGIX provides organizations across many industries with tools to keep their communities safe. Whether you need to reevaluate your school alert system or implement wearable panic button technology in your organization, CENTEGIX has you covered.
The CENTEGIX Safety Platform™ is an innovative safety platform designed to create a culture centered around safety, improving retention, and reducing turnover. The CENTEGIX Safety Platform offers precise, room-level location capabilities to ensure an accelerated and effective response during moments of need.
The Safety Platform at a glance:
- Discreet, one-button wearable duress badge
- Digital mapping to outline floorplans, safety assets, and incident locations
- Total campus coverage through a private Bluetooth network
- Precise locating capabilities activated only during an incident
- Easy installation with no hardwiring required
- Accessible and automatic reporting collected within an easy-to-use dashboard
- OSHA, CMS, and JC compliant
CENTEGIX CrisisAlert is the only wearable panic button that empowers its users to get help instantly in an emergency. With the push of a button, users discreetly alert responders in seconds with precise incident location details. The CrisisAlert wearable panic button provides an easy, discreet way for staff to request help.
CENTEGIX Safety Blueprint™ provides healthcare organizations, schools, and other users with digital, multi-layered maps of their campuses—including information about safety assets—which is invaluable for staff and first responders in high-stress emergencies. CENTEGIX Safety Blueprint is highly customizable so that hospitals and schools have a solution tailored to their needs.
CENTEGIX Visitor Management enhances the supervision of traffic in or out of any given facility. Enhanced Visitor Management is capable of locating all guests, volunteers, and contractors in real-time through live digital maps. It also records visitor details for future reference.
The uptick in workplace violence in healthcare and education means every second matters. Improve your safety plan or school alert system by partnering with CENTEGIX. CENTEGIX is an industry leader in wearable safety technology with over 600,000 badges in use. Leaders in over 12,000 locations nationwide trust CENTEGIX’s innovative safety solutions to empower and protect their people every day.
Click here to see how CENTEGIX can enhance a school alert system and foster a culture of safety in healthcare and other organizations.
