The news of another mass shooting in the U.S. leaves the nation in a state of deep grief, yet many have also become deeply desensitized to the prevalent issue. It’s frightening to think about how these types of attacks can affect people in different locations and make them feel like they’re not safe.
There’s a lot of talk about what preventive measures we can take and how America can move past the various issues in gun control. The time is now for businesses, healthcare centers, and educational institutes to be proactive. Many believe the use of predictive analysis and artificial intelligence can play a key role.
In this post, we dive deep into the prevalent human threats plaguing the U.S. and how predictive analytics can help.
Mass Shootings Are on the Rise
The Washington Post reported that there had been 154 mass shootings in the U.S. since the University of Texas shooting on August 1, 1966, until the Capital Gazette shooting in Maryland on June 28, 2018. These include gang shootings, robberies, and home invasions.
In October 2017, Nancy Pelosi, then House Minority Leader, wrote a letter to Paul Ryan, stating that there had been over 200 mass shootings in 2017. Although she used the term “four or more people killed,” she did not include home invasion robberies, gang shootings, and home violence. When these are included in the definition of mass shootings, these incidents account for 63% of the total.
Another definition of an active shooter is provided by the FBI, which states that a person actively involved in killing or attempting to kill others in a confined and populated area is considered an active shooter. In 2021, the FBI reported 61 mass shootings in the U.S., the largest number of such incidents that the agency had recorded during a single year. From 2000 to 2015, incidents involving mass shootings had more than doubled.
Profiling Mass Shooters
In an attempt to identify potential mass shooters, the FBI conducted a study of 63 individuals convicted of the crime. Although the agency found some characteristics common to these types of attackers, it could not identify them on its own.
The study revealed that the majority of the mass shootings that have occurred in the U.S. were carried out by white males. However, there have been instances where the attackers were Hispanic, Native American, and Asian. The FBI additionally stated that only 25% of individuals identified as potential mass shooters had been diagnosed with a mental illness.
Most mass shootings are carried out by people with a grievance. In almost 80% of cases, the perpetrator was motivated by a specific event. However, many people fear the potential dangers that Islamic or other extremist groups can pose. Despite this, the FBI study also noted that extremist ideologies could be a threat, and in 3% of cases, they motivated the attack.
Employing Predictive Analytics to Detect Threats
Through the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence, facility administrators can now identify individuals who are most likely to commit violent acts. These capabilities can then be used to prevent these types of attacks from happening. For instance, by analyzing the various activities of a person before a shooting, facility administrators can identify the potential attackers before they can carry out their actions.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence can also be used to analyze massive amounts of data collected from the Internet. They can then be programmed to quickly find relevant data points and make informed decisions based on them.
Human beings can then use the data collected by machine learning and artificial intelligence to determine the context of the information and the threat level.
Mitigating the Effects of Disasters: A Study of MERLENN®
Through the creation of MERLENN®, the team at Counterspherics was able to identify the hidden corners of unpredictability and develop a strategy to improve emergency personnel’s response time.
Unlike other organizations, businesses can’t automate their disaster response. Instead, they can use their existing processes and procedures to plan and respond quickly to minimize the impact of a disaster on their operations. This strategy aims to keep their doors open to allow their employees to continue working.
Terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and manmade threats can affect people differently. For instance, riots or workplace violence can affect different regions. Through the creation of MERLENN®, the team at Counterspherics has developed a strategy to help organizations create an effective and consistent response to crises.
MERLENN® differentiates itself by allowing those most susceptible to the crisis to receive real-time updates about the situation. This eliminates the need to react rushedly and helps them make informed decisions. Unfortunately, many people cannot act immediately due to the lack of information.
For a budget-friendly safety technology or service to help you personally or your business in times of need, check out Counterspherics.com. They provide a Crisis & Incident Management & Support Systems (CIMSS) service to help you prepare, act, and recover from emergencies, natural or otherwise.
To learn more about how the company’s solution can help mitigate the effects of human threats, you can check out their video animated case study about the 2011 Japan triple disaster; and how a Californian university used its system to provide real-time alerts and instructions to their students and families in Japan on where to go, what to do, and how to get out of the country after the earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear disaster ravaged the countryside. Counterspherics Labs is constantly working on safety and threat management systems to help people and businesses in crises.
You can reach out to them today for more info.
