United States Secret Service United States Department of Education Federal Bureau of Investigation Report published April

“In the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy, many universities were confronted with the troubling reality that one person can, in a few brief moments, devastate a college community through an act of targeted violence.” (Campus Attacks, pg. 27) This report was developed in response to the April 16, 2006 Virginia Tech incident: 32 killed (27 students and 5 faculty) 17 wounded A collaborative endeavor of U.S. Secret Service, Department of Education, and FBI A review of 272 incidents of violence that affected Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) in the United States from 1900 through

Report Citation: Drysdale, D., Modzeleski, W., and Simons, A. (2010). Campus Attacks: Targeted Violence Affecting Institutions of Higher Education. U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, U.S. Department of Education, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice. Washington, D.C., Report Download Sites:

Understand the scope of the problem of targeted violence at IHEs Analyze where, when, and how the 272 incidents of targeted violence occurred Compile information on offenders and their relationship to the IHEs Identify factors that may have motivated or triggered the attacks 4

Incident Study Inclusion Criteria: IHE students, employees, faculty, or events were selected as a target, either specific individuals/events or random selection that matched the subject’s victim profile Targets were selected prior to the assault or at the time of the assault Subject had the ability to employ lethal force 272 incidents identified: 1900 – 2008, on-campus or off campus, within U.S. (3/4 of incidents occurred after 1970) 5

Educational, residential, and workplace environment Many buildings, large classrooms, uncontrolled access Irregular student schedules Minimal regular contact between educators and students Difficult to observe / recognize behavioral concerns among students 6

7 Table 3: Directed Assaults by Decade, Decade N = % 1900s s s s s s s s s s s* Total

8

9 Table 7: Factors that Motivated or Triggered the Directed Assaults Categories n = % Related to an Intimate Relationship Retaliation for Specific Action(s) Refused Advances or Obsession with the Target Response to Academic Stress/Failure Acquaintance/Stranger Based Sexual Violence Psychotic Actions Workplace Dismissal/Sanction Need to Kill / Specific Victimology Draw Attention to Self/Issue(s) Bias Related Total

10

11

Explore how the findings of this report can help you: Identify individuals whose behavior causes concern or disruption on or off campus. Assess whether the identified individual possesses the intent and ability to carry out an attack and if the individual has taken any steps to prepare for the attack. Manage the threat posed by the individual, to include disrupting potential plans of attack, mitigating the risk, and implementing strategies to facilitate long- term resolution. 12

Go beyond open sources - thoroughly examine case files and investigative records from campus attacks in an effort to better serve the professionals who work to ensure campus safety. Conduct a more detailed examination of characteristics that were difficult or impossible to measure due to inadequate or missing information in the open sources (e.g., mental illness, past behavior). Ultimate goal: identify offenders prior to an attack and save lives! 13

For your attention, and… For everything you do to create safe campuses where academic and personal growth can flourish. Report Download Sites:

15 SA R. Mark Wood