Posted on Aug 26, 2015
Individual warning signs toward a tragedy; What would you do and why?
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A former TV news reporter suspected of fatally shooting two former colleagues Wednesday morning during a live broadcast, then appeared to post his own videos of the killings on social media. The alleged shooter, who went by Bryce Williams on air, shot himself after/during a morning manhunt.
After following this story, I began to hear the same words I normally hear in similar tragic incidents such as this from people who seemingly knew, but did not do anything... Statements such as:
I knew he/she was an extremely vocal disgruntled employee...
There were several warning that he/she would do something like this, and I'm not surprised...
I didn't have to hear the name, I already knew it was him/her...
He/she had several incident reports that indicated extreme negative feelings toward his employer; co-worker; company...
He/she seemed to make a racial a incident into quite a few of his/her release of employment...
He/she was unhappy and quickly developed a reputation of being hard to work with... After several such arguments, we fired him...
And this list is not all inclusive and can go on and on. These are just some that seem to come up after the fact when the damage is done and is of no assistance to any one.
So, my questions is simply this... If you found yourself in a situation (not necessarily this one) where you think you noticed warning signs and symptoms (not necessarily the ones listed) for someone possibly unstable or for someone who may cause harm to another, what would you do and why? Please be honest if you respond, and if you respond, please use the survey and answer why you chose the way you did. If a choice is not available, tell us your choice, and why.
After following this story, I began to hear the same words I normally hear in similar tragic incidents such as this from people who seemingly knew, but did not do anything... Statements such as:
I knew he/she was an extremely vocal disgruntled employee...
There were several warning that he/she would do something like this, and I'm not surprised...
I didn't have to hear the name, I already knew it was him/her...
He/she had several incident reports that indicated extreme negative feelings toward his employer; co-worker; company...
He/she seemed to make a racial a incident into quite a few of his/her release of employment...
He/she was unhappy and quickly developed a reputation of being hard to work with... After several such arguments, we fired him...
And this list is not all inclusive and can go on and on. These are just some that seem to come up after the fact when the damage is done and is of no assistance to any one.
So, my questions is simply this... If you found yourself in a situation (not necessarily this one) where you think you noticed warning signs and symptoms (not necessarily the ones listed) for someone possibly unstable or for someone who may cause harm to another, what would you do and why? Please be honest if you respond, and if you respond, please use the survey and answer why you chose the way you did. If a choice is not available, tell us your choice, and why.
Active Shooter
What Would You Do
Working
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 5
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Sitting here thinking about it, I would, and have, brought up issues similar to this on a few occasions, and fortunately, they all have been uneventful, but I tend to think because I said something, that may have altered the individuals decision. I do have a huge fear of being wrong, and the repercussions, and in the end, I'd rather be wrong than right; but I will also admit, to me, they were pretty obvious, otherwise, I "let it slide" which I have done before, and hope I made the best decision...
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I responded with intervene because it's the right thing to do.
However I don't know how much was known or if anyone really could have predicted this. Sometimes the signs just aren't really there. When they are we need to be aware though.
It sounds like in this case there were people that knew that something was wrong at least. As far as the disgruntled employee part, that in itself isn't enough to go on, but those who were close to him, probably knew enough to have made a difference.
However I don't know how much was known or if anyone really could have predicted this. Sometimes the signs just aren't really there. When they are we need to be aware though.
It sounds like in this case there were people that knew that something was wrong at least. As far as the disgruntled employee part, that in itself isn't enough to go on, but those who were close to him, probably knew enough to have made a difference.
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MSgt Curtis Ellis
LCDR (Join to see) I chose the same as well. As far as the incident that took place, we may never know everything that lead up to this, or if they were really "red flags" to indicate predictability... but it does concern me to hear these things after a incident that indicates that "maybe" a few of them knew he was a loose cannon waiting to be fired... no pun intended...
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I've actually encountered people who make me "wonder". No one wants to be the person who complicates/ruins the reputation or life of someone who is "harmless"...on the other hand, there's a wide range of "intervention". If you're in doubt, there's always subtle means of monitoring...I watched the video and was shocked. Very tragic story indeed.
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MSgt Curtis Ellis
LCDR (Join to see) Agreed... I just hope that if I am ever in that situation, I will do the right thing... Whatever that is...
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