A one-time purchase and implementation of a technology-based solution is far too often seen as an easy way for school officials to be perceived as doing “something” in response to a high-profile incident. This can result in outcomes that are, in effect, little more than security theater. Repeatedly, we have seen that once such a solution is installed, everyone involved assumes that the school is now safe, and the job is done. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Mass shootings in the United States are no longer rare events. As of press time, there had been 372 mass shootings—incidents where four or more people, not including the shooter, were killed or injured—in the first seven months of 2022, up from 272 total in 2014. The increasing number of these incidents is impacting how courts assess liability when a shooting occurs and security measures campuses should have in place.
