The Attack Cycle, Mass Shootings And Lone Wolves: What Companies Should Know

This article was originally featured in Security Magazine

A mass shooting at the workplace is a nightmare for everyone involved. But for corporate security professionals, it means the injury or death of colleagues, executives or customers they are responsible for keeping safe. And the trauma of these attacks goes well beyond physical injuries. 

The average gunshot victim is estimated to incur $160,000 in medical expenses, a figure that does not include the costs of rehabilitation and long-term counseling. For businesses, there are a staggering number of direct and indirect costs associated with workplace shootings — damage to brands, property, productivity, employee turnover and legal expenses. 

Whether motivated by ideology, violence spilling from their personal lives, or workplace friction, mass shootings are often carried out by isolated individuals, so-called “lone wolves.” 

This article was originally featured in Security Magazine