The Unthinkable Happens…
And it starts with a loud bang or pop.
Pop….pop-pop-pop……pop………..pop. The same noise, spaced irregularly.
Devastating active shooter incidents across America have reached crisis levels. And they’re impacting more and more schools every year. From K-12 to higher education campuses, active shootings unleash sudden violence, chaos, and indescribable fear into places meant for learning, safety, inspiration, and growth.
And students, educators, families, law enforcement, and the broader community are suffering. (Here’s what we’re doing to help stop it.)
Understanding these moments is crucial for many reasons. It can help you and your loved ones prepare for the unthinkable and better support survivors and your community.
Here, we’ll explore some common school shooting experiences and perspectives shared by many Americans directly and indirectly affected by school shootings.
Caught In the Crossfire: The First Moments
The first indication of danger might come through the sounds of gunfire, the blare of alarms, or frantic warnings from peers and teachers.
Younger students may not immediately understand what’s happening. The unfamiliar sounds and sudden chaos can be bewildering, leaving them reliant on teachers for guidance and protection.
Older students and adults—faculty, staff and visitors—are more likely to instantly recognize the threat. The realization triggers a surge of adrenaline, accompanied by an acute sense of fear and urgency.
Then sensory overload kicks in…
▪️ Amplified Sounds: In heightened states of panic, every sound becomes amplifed. Footsteps, shouts, and even the silence between gunshots stretch moments into what feels like an eternity.
▪️ Hypervigilance: Some experience hypervigilance, becoming acutely aware of their surroundings as they seek to identify the source of danger and potential escape routes.
▪️ Dissociation: Others may dissociate, emotionally detaching from the immediate reality as a coping mechanism to handle the overwhelming stress.
In these initial moments, the confusion and fear are profound and paralyzing. responses, shaped by age and immediate perceptions of the threat, underscore the intense psychological impact of active shooter incidents in educational settings.
During the Incident: Survival and Silence
Following lockdown protocols quickly and calmly is paramount. Teachers and administrators face the added responsibility of protecting their students, often putting themselves in harm’s way.
Lockdown-trained teachers instruct students to lock doors, turn off lights, and remain silent. While seemingly simple, these actions can be a life-saving defense mechanism in the face of such raw terror.
Some students, faculty, and staff may hide in classrooms, closets, or any available space, trying to stay out of sight. If able, they barricade doors with desks, chairs, and other furniture to prevent the shooter from entering.
And through it all—hearts racing, thoughts screaming—they must maintain complete silence.
Hands trembling, some send text messages or social media updates to inform family and friends of their status.
Others don’t have seconds to text: Miah Cerrillo, a survivor of the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Texas, only had time to smear her classmate’s blood on herself and play dead.
This is the unthinkable. And it’s striking U.S. schools with alarming frequency—currently poised to break yet another annual high.
The Wait: Family Anguish
For families of students, faculty and staff, news of an active shooter situation at the school triggers a descent into a nightmare…
First comes shock and disbelief. It can be challenging to process the information, and denial might be a coping mechanism as they desperately hope for the best.
The natural instinct is to call your loved one to check on them, but overwhelmed phone lines often make communication impossible. Families frantically search for news updates, clinging to reliable sources while trying to avoid the emotional contagion of large-looming rumors.
As the reality of the situation sets in, anger might erupt toward the perpetrator, the authorities, or even themselves. Frustration arises from the lack of control and the feeling of helplessness. Could more have been done to prevent this?
This agonizing wait, filled with the gnawing fear of the unknown, is an excruciating experience that can leave families emotionally scarred long after the event.
Law Enforcement and School Officials: Racing Against Time
In the harrowing moments of a school shooting, law enforcement and school officials’ actions are critical—there’s immense pressure to act swiftly and decisively.
Upon receiving the call, officers must rush to locate the shooter, neutralize the threat, secure the scene, and tend to the injured. Every decision weighs heavily, with the weight of lives resting on their shoulders. Effective communication between responding officers and command centers is crucial for a coordinated response and minimizing casualties.
The aftermath can wreak emotional havoc—as officers and officials grapple with the trauma they witnessed and the knowledge that their actions, while necessary, might not have saved everyone.
Community Trauma: The Ripple Effect
The ripples of active shooter incidents extend far beyond the immediate victims—to family, friends, colleagues, and entire communities.
A sense of unease and fear permeates the community, leaving people wary and afraid of familiar places. Schools, restaurants, grocery stores, theaters, retail centers, and parks are pillars of a thriving community. Loss of these spaces causes psychological and financial tears in the fabric of our communities.
School shootings cause physical, psychological, financial, and sociological damages in their communities. Look at these numbers from the Gun Violence Research Center (GVRC)…
To help put that into perspective, consider this: Uvalde students who witnessed attacks reportedly have $100,000–$300,00 in therapy costs so far, and lifetime costs are still unknown. That’s one facet (therapy) of one school shooting. And there are hundreds upon hundreds more incidents.
Community recovery is a long and arduous process that requires a unified effort. School counselors, mental health professionals, and community support groups can help create safe spaces for people to talk about their experiences and begin to heal.
The Aftermath: Trauma and Recovery
Once all threats are neutralized, what’s next? Navigating things like immediate relief, long-term psychological impacts, and building comprehensive recovery support systems.
Immediate Relief
After the immediate threat of an active shooter is gone, a wave of relief sweeps over students, educators, and their families. But this relief is short-lived as the emotional reality sets in. Students experience shock, grief, and anger, while teachers may feel guilt and helplessness. Parents, relieved their children are safe, grapple with lingering fears for their future safety.
Most Americans—even those not present at the shooting, including media viewers everywhere—can relate to these feelings. Second-hand gun violence trauma is very real.
Long-Term Impact
Surviving a school shooting can lead to profound and enduring psychological effects. Many survivors suffer from PTSD, experiencing flashbacks, nightmares, and heightened anxiety.
Returning to school—the trauma site—is often particularly challenging. Take Ava Olsen, for example. In 2016, the then-six-year-old student at South Carolina’s Townville Elementary School, joyfully clutching a cupcake, bounded onto the playground as an angry 14-year-old pulled up and opened fire. A classmate Olsen loved was shot and died three days later. Olsen was so consumed by trauma and fear that she didn’t set foot inside another classroom for six years.
While they fortunately survived, life isn’t easy for survivors…
- Everyday sounds and sights can trigger intense emotional reactions, making concentration and social interactions difficult.
- Hypervigilance is common, leading to exhaustion and further emotional strain.
- For some, the spiral plunges deeper, including addiction and suicide—not only for deceased victims’ loved ones who can’t carry on, but also for survivors pummeled by agonizing survivor’s guilt.
Support and Healing
Recovery from something as devastating as a school shooting doesn’t—and shouldn’t—happen without help. It requires professional mental health support, community solidarity, and proactive school initiatives.
☑️ Counseling can give survivors a safe space to process emotions and manage PTSD symptoms. Many surviors recommend peer support groups for shared understanding and validation. It’s crucial to help survivors feel less isolated. Know a survivor? Reach out to them regularly.
☑️ School-led initiatives are crucial in promoting mental health and resilience. Consistent counseling, trauma-informed care training for teachers, and a supportive school environment can aid recovery. Memorials and ceremonies offer ways to honor victims and process collective grief. Involving students in safety planning and drills can help rebuild a sense of control and preparedness.
How Can You Enhance School Safety?
While active shooter situations are complex and unpredictable, technological advancements can provide additional layers of protection. ZeroEyes’ AI-powered, human-verified, visual gun detection solution is a proactive security measure for schools of all sizes and learning levels—from preschool to PhD.
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Real-time threat detection: ZeroEyes’ artificial intelligence is trained to detect visible firearms. And it’s extremely good at it—far better and faster than human eyes. It monitors live video feeds on your existing security cameras 24/7/365. And it’s not looking at faces…it solely seeks guns.
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Save time, save lives: Every detection goes through our human monitoring team of military veterans and former law enforcement experts so we can verify threats before triggering real-time alerts and safety protocols. True positive detections are relayed to local authorities within seconds, for potentially faster responses and better outcomes.
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Peace of mind for educators and families: ZeroEyes’ technology offers an additional security layer, providing school communities with a sense of proactive protection—to help identify guns at first sight—not first shot.
“It’s almost impossible for us to monitor cameras constantly,” says School Resource Officer Deborah Murillo of New Jersey’s Mount Holly Township Police Department. “ZeroEyes is very helpful because our first responders want to know exactly where the threat is inside the building.”
Educated and Prepared: Building a Safer Future
By understanding the unique experiences of those affected by active shooter incidents, we can help create more secure environments for K-12 and higher-education schools.
Technology like ZeroEyes can be valuable in this effort—providing an extra layer of protection and potentially saving lives. Let’s work together to prioritize safety and ensure that educational institutions remain places of learning and growth, not fear.
“Our parents send their children to school and expect them to be safe every day,” says Dr. Chris Heilig, Superintendent of NJ’s Rancocas Valley Regional High School. “ZeroEyes helps make this the safest place possible.”
Want to See It for Yourself?
Fill out our online form to reserve your live demo and speak with a school security specialist.
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