In recent years, public shootings have become alarmingly frequent. They affect communities in busy cities and quiet suburbs. This rise in violence brings a deep sense of vulnerability across America and fear to our daily lives. In this blog, we explore the current state of these events.
The recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally serves as a startling reminder of the difficulties in securing public events against threats. It highlights the urgent need for robust security measures to ensure public safety and support gun violence prevention.
The former president was injured, one attendee was killed, and two others were critically injured when a lone gunman began firing an AR-style rifle from a nearby rooftop during an outdoor rally in Pennsylvania. Trump, who was speaking at the time of the incident, was rushed off the stage by Secret Service agents and was famously photographed with blood from his ear streaked across his face.
It was a stunning act of violence at a high-profile event with multiple layers of security. Investigations continue into the security lapses that led to the shooting.
A Troubling, Persistent Problem
The incident is one of the latest and highest-profile examples of a persistent problem. Through the first seven months of 2024, there had been 324 mass shootings in the U.S., according to the Gun Violence Archive. That’s a rate of roughly three mass shootings every two days.
Data show that mass shootings have become more frequent and deadlier over time. The locations where they occur have also diversified.
Once confined to retail stores and college campuses, mass shootings now occur in factories and warehouses, at places of worship, K-12 schools, restaurants and nightclubs, and outdoors, according to data from the Violence Prevention Project.
What’s more, some mass shooting events have been made more deadly by delayed response times from first responders, particularly in the case of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Minimizing Risk
It’s a troubling trend that points to the importance of taking careful precautions to ensure public safety. While there is no way to completely eliminate the risk of random acts of violence — especially in an outdoor setting — modern technology can go a long way to strengthen security and support police officers and first responders in securing an effective response to active shooter scenarios.
Our approach with our SmartSOSTM platform is to connect people, processes, and patented technology to prevent violence, expedite a response, engage threats, and unify technology.
The platform is a blend of advanced technologies, including:
- AI facial identification software with a greater than 99% match rate, which helps detect firearms, blacklisted criminals, unauthorized intruders, vehicles, and other loitering threats
- Ability to detect openly brandished weapons in real-time and provide video descriptions and other key information for law enforcement
- CAD interoperability, eliminating the need for voice communication with dispatchers during an emergency and dramatically reducing call processing times
- Wall-mounted, wireless panic buttons, and optional wireless pendants that operate independently of Wi-Fi or customer internet service
- Integrated floor plans and live video streaming provide the necessary intelligence to support an effective response
- Real-time notifications to onsite emergency-response personnel and remote monitoring centers
Contact us to discuss your own prevention strategies and learn more about how our solutions can strengthen your onsite security.