Recognizing the Warning Signs of Violence
The FBI estimates that the United States experiences a mass shooting — defined as four or more people shot in a single incident — roughly 9 out of every 10 days. Between 2000 and 2019, the Bureau documented 333 active shooter incidents resulting in 2,851 casualties. The CDC/NIOSH reported 481 workplace homicides in 2021 alone.
Behind many of these incidents is a pattern of behavioral warning signs that were visible before the attack — and missed, ignored, or unreported.
The Psychology of Mass Shooters
Mass shooters tend to share identifiable psychological and behavioral characteristics. Depression, resentment, and social isolation appear consistently across case studies. A significant interest in weapons, an excessive fascination with graphic violence in media, and a tendency to externalize blame for personal failures are also common.
Psychiatrist Allen J. Frances, M.D., described the pattern:
"The mass murderer is an injustice collector who spends a great deal of time feeling resentful about real or imagined rejections and ruminating on past humiliations. He has a paranoid worldview with chronic feelings of social persecution, envy, and grudge-holding. He is tormented by beliefs that privileged others are enjoying life’s all-you-can-eat buffet, while he must peer through the window, an outside loner always looking in. Aggrieved and entitled, he longs for power and revenge to obliterate what he cannot have."
Warning Signs to Watch For
No single trait predicts violence. A coworker who collects firearms or a student who plays video games is not a threat. But a combination of the following behaviors warrants attention and, potentially, a report to administrators or law enforcement:
- Anti-social behavior — Persistent difficulty getting along with others. Disrespect for authority. Withdrawal from social groups.
- Vindictiveness — Blaming others for personal problems. Holding grudges. Expressing satisfaction at others’ suffering.
- Persistent anger — Rage episodes, temper tantrums, excessive profanity, emotionally volatile language disproportionate to the situation.
- Violent ideation — Repeated statements about causing harm. Celebrating or fixating on news coverage of mass shootings. Detailed fantasies about violence.
- Employment instability — Inability to hold jobs due to interpersonal conflict. A documented pattern of terminations or forced departures.
- Self-neglect — Deteriorating personal hygiene, disheveled appearance, and consistent disregard for self-care that may signal emotional deterioration.
Behavioral Threat Assessment
The FBI and DHS jointly promote Behavioral Threat Assessment (BTA) as a structured approach to identifying, evaluating, and managing individuals who may pose a threat. CISA’s K-12 School Security Guide recommends that every school establish a multidisciplinary threat assessment team — typically including administrators, counselors, law enforcement liaisons, and mental health professionals.
Key principles of behavioral threat assessment:
- Targeted violence is the product of an identifiable process of thinking and behavior
- There is a difference between making a threat and posing a threat
- Most attackers engaged in concerning behavior that was observable by others before the attack
- Reporting is not "snitching" — it is potentially lifesaving
The Bullied Child
Among school-age perpetrators, one of the most consistent risk factors is a history of being bullied. Sustained mistreatment by peers feeds resentment, isolation, and fantasies of retribution. The damage inflicted on children subjected to daily bullying is immeasurable and cumulative. Zero-tolerance bullying policies and active intervention programs are not just social niceties — they are security measures.
See Something, Say Something
Recognizing warning signs is only valuable if those observations are reported. Fear of being wrong, fear of retaliation, or simple reluctance to get involved has allowed preventable attacks to occur. What you don’t say could mean the difference between life and death.
While threat assessment and early intervention address the upstream problem, physical security addresses the downstream reality. Door barricade devices like the Bolo Stick provide a last line of defense when prevention fails — securing rooms against forced entry and buying time for law enforcement response.
Layer your security from early warning to physical barriers. Explore Bolo Stick products or contact us for a security assessment.