Reading Note

CASE-gunshot first half

Background

1999 April, school gun shooting occurred in Columbine High School

On the scene:

• witness- different report

• Communication difficulty- fire alarms loud; radio incompatible

• SWAT (Special Weapon and Tactics) enter first

• then Sheriff’s Office enter - secure the perimeter of building,prevent escape

• evacuate (help them out) students teachers staff, arrest gun shooter

• Afternoon, SWAT found two student killers suicide, 10 students plan to suicide

• 2 killed,12 student 1 teacher wounded, 24 others injured

—> Question: Can law enforcement and emergency medical personnel have done better? 

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office 治安部門

• a populous county with12 police departments 

• JeffCo Sheriff’s Office provide law enforcement for unincorporated area like Columbine High school 

• bomb squad & part-time SWAT team (only come when called in for emergency)

• 1999- period of transition of the office :

◦ new sheriff JP Stone 

◦ new under sheriff John Dunaway

• except for SWAT routine training, the Office haven’t invest much on pre-incidence planning; experienced in disaster and emergency responses (forest fire); disaster training course complete -1997

• most interactive place

• but rarely held inter-jurisdictional exercises with police; rarer with outside agencies

• always handle criminal response with internal resources, no call out for mutual aid

The internal Attack

• School community resource officer assigned to ColHighSch, Gardner

• a bushfire and explosion elsewhere before the shoot

• 11:22 dispatcher radio call injured stu in parking lot  

• 11:23 girl wounded 911 call - G send Magor (heading to bushfire) to school

• 11:24 Gardner arrive 5 minutes after shoot (EHand DK start shooting 11:19 -11stu shot);

• exchange fire between Gardner and EH outside of school

• 11:26 Gardner calls for reinforcement - Smoker and...