Key Points

• Armed security officers on-site often thwart mass shooting attempts at public venues by delivering rapid, adaptive responses that technology alone can’t match.
• Visible security measures—like patrols, guarded entry points, and environmental obstacles—exploit attackers’ aversion to risk, deterring or diverting potential assaults.
• Active shooter incidents span the globe, demanding proactive, coordinated security strategies from both public and private organizations responsible for crowded spaces.

At 11:15 a.m. Sunday, a 31-year-old man exited his vehicle in the parking lot of the CrossPointe Community Church in a Detroit, Michigan (USA), suburb, wearing a tactical vest and armed with a long gun and a handgun. He began firing his weapon as he made his way to the church building, where approximately 150 people, including children, were inside. But a mass shooting was prevented when a security guard and a staff member shot the assailant. The guard was shot in the leg by the assailant but is recovering.

Lessons?

The event was reminiscent of another church shooting in Colorado, in which an armed security officer stopped a killer after he shot individuals in a parking lot but before he could make his way inside a Chapel with hundreds of worshippers. The pastor of the church stated that because the security officer stopped the perpetrator in the hallway, she probably saved "over 100 lives."

Research demonstrates that these two incidents are not isolated cases.

In terms of reducing casualties…armed responses by guards, on-scene officers (typically off-duty), and, occasionally, civilian bystanders were often effective at stopping shooters. — 2024 study by the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center, Keeping Soft Targets and Crowded Places Safe from Mass Casualty Attacks

Prevention is a moving target and always complicated, which is why the case for utilizing security officers in public gathering areas is especially compelling. Human personnel can adapt more readily to changes in threats and attack scenarios than targeted technology solutions. Moreover, their expense is offset because their presence makes other crimes less likely.

“As rational actors, public mass shooters are responsive to obstacles in their environment, and this responsiveness may be exploited through situational crime prevention to increase effort and risks associated with this crime type,” according to research. (“Mitigating the Harm of Public Mass Shooting Incidents Through Situational Crime Prevention,” CUNY, 2022.)

Despite technological advances—such as gunshot detection, intelligent video, and electronic access control—security personnel represent the best opportunity to prevent or mitigate shootings in public spaces where controlling access is often impossible. If a mass shooter chooses to attack a retail store, open-air market, or some other public venue, it is likely because they desire a “soft” target they can hit successfully; so, any visible security—such as security patrols or security positioned at entrances or key locations—is often sufficient to push an attacker to a different target. A more transparent security operation also encourages and facilitates public reports to security staff of suspicious persons.

A Global Concern

The frequency and causes of mass shootings may differ around the world, but they are certainly a global problem, one that requires consideration and countermeasures by all public and private sector organizations, especially those responsible for locations where large groups of people congregate and which may pose an attractive target.

Although commonly perceived as an American phenomenon, active shooter events are a significant security threat in many countries—a point made clear in the 2023 infographic below. The illustration also underscores the fact that timely response is critical. In most mass killing events, many of which have garnered worldwide attention, perpetrators have taken their own lives before public police arrived on scene.