Niles Malvasia and School Shootings: The Police Perspective

School shootings in the United States are not an entirely new issue. In fact, the very first mass attack of this nature happened in 1764. That means that the problem existed more than a decade before the country was even founded. Sadly, centuries later, these incidents continue to claim innocent victims. Since 2012, there were as many as 239 school shootings all over the nation. Those attacks ended 138 lives while over 430 individuals were shot in total.

Niles Malvasia, a retired detective sergeant, sees this as the most worrisome issue the country is facing. Even after a long career filled with many tragic cases, he believes that nothing parallels the death of a child. School shootings have become increasingly more common over the last few decades. Mr. Malvasia is currently working towards raising awareness about proper techniques to save lives during a school shooting.

Always Alert and Prepared

Students and professors currently live in a world where death can be upon them in no time. That leaves very little room for rational thinking. Instead, they must be ready to run and hide as soon as they hear a gunshot. In order to achieve such a fast response, these individuals must be trained. Proper lessons can help them know exactly how to address a potential school shooter by relying on muscle memory. Then, if there is ever a real scenario, they will simply have to do what they already practiced hundreds of times.

Another important key to being prepared, according to Niles Malvasia, is knowing all the ways in and out of the building. If students are unfamiliar with the entirety of their surroundings, the shooter has an obvious advantage and a prolonged element of surprise. Meaning, if a student has no idea where to run, they will be less likely to go the optimal way.

Panic

In high-stress situations, it is just as difficult as it is important to remain calm. Consider, for instance, the arrival of police officers on a murder scene in East Village, New York during a case in 2017. A young adult suffered a deadly wound and the officers knew that the killer could be anywhere. Thus, not only did they have to worry about their personal safety, but also every other innocent bystander.

In case of school shootings, panic tends to facilitate a follow-the-crowd behavior pattern. Unfortunately, that makes the entire group vulnerable as they are usually following one person who may not be going the right way. Thus, students and professors should slowly learn how to operate and ignore panic. Not responding to the chaos will leave one's head clear and mind open to questions. Those questions can involve things like "how do I leave?" and "where is the nearest exit?" and so on. After all, those types of questions can be the main reason why someone successfully evacuates themselves and others from the danger zone.

In Case of a Bullet Wound

As devastating as it may sound, school shootings do often come with fatalities. Almost always, the fatalities occur as a result of bullet wounds. So, what exactly does one do if they are hit? Well, the best advice is to continue moving regardless of the wound. Unless it makes it impossible to do so, no wound should be accepted as defeat. If it is, it may grant the shooter another opportunity to fire his weapon at the previously-wounded person. Then, even a non-lethal injury can become deadly as the situation progresses.

Not Neglecting Others

Ultimately, one must find the courage to help others when possible. Students and teachers can provide aid by holding the door, guiding other students, or alerting the authorities. As long as they are able to help others escape the shooter, their actions will be deemed heroic. It is moments like those, Niles Malvasia reminds, that true character and bravery come to light.

Recovering

People who survive a school shooting often take years to fully recover. In fact, some never do. Hence why it is important to continue providing aid even after a school shooting took place. Simply talking with fellow students or professors can provide comfort and help those individuals overcome the traumatic experience. Some could even make it their life purpose to battle this issue until it no longer exists. Although one may not be able to completely eradicate school shootings, they could fight it with open speech. That is, after all, the very definition of the American way where words must triumph the unnecessary bloodshed.