Two weeks ago, the Navy released a report detailing the results of its investigation into the active shooter incident at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard last December that claimed two lives and seriously injured another. This horrific incident undoubtedly left victim families heartbroken and many in our communities searching for answers.
Tragically, the shooting was one of 28 “active shooter” incidents in the United States last year. The FBI defines “active shooter” incidents as shootings that involve one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.
Each precious life lost in an active shooter incident demands justice, which traditionally comes in the form of a murder prosecution and imposition of an appropriate punishment. But while the traditional paradigm of criminal prosecution may bring victims’ families some closure and promote rule of law, it cannot bring back a life forever taken. Investigation, prosecution and sentencing are, in this context, simply too much, too late.
As a result, we must work together as a community to build the systems necessary to identify those at risk of perpetrating an active shooter incident and take decisive action to prevent the incident from occurring in the first place. While there’s no perfect formula for predicting an active shooter incident, the goals of identifying persons at risk of perpetrating one — based on observable behavior — and taking appropriate action to intervene are well within our reach.
To achieve these goals, we must leverage the knowledge and expertise of threat assessment professionals, mental health experts and law enforcement officials, and perhaps more importantly, empower the members of our communities best positioned to identify concerning behavior and help those in need.
At least some data suggest that our ability as a community to collectively identify concerning behavior and take appropriate action may help prevent active shooter incidents. A 2018 FBI study of 63 individuals responsible for active shooter incidents found that, “on average, each active shooter displayed 4 to 5 concerning behaviors over time that were observable to others around the shooter.”
The study also found that when others observed concerning behaviors, they generally responded by either communicating directly with the shooter or doing nothing, instead of reporting the behavior to someone who could provide assistance.
In Honolulu, we have a program to assist those who observe concerning behavior and want to intervene before it’s too late. The program is called Threat Team Oahu (TTO). TTO is a collaborative and multidisciplinary partnership between threat assessment professionals, law enforcement officials, mental health experts and other governmental and nongovernmental entities designed to enhance community efforts to identify and manage the threat posed by individuals who, based on their observed behaviors, may perpetrate a targeted act of violence.
The nerve center of the program is a small group of representatives from FBI Honolulu, the State Fusion Center, Department of Health-Adult Mental Health Division, Sheriffs Division, and Honolulu Police Department, who serve as a sounding board for entities in the community seeking threat assessment advice and, under appropriate circumstances, assistance with intervention.
Among other things, these professionals facilitate threat assessment and prevention training, and offer recommendations to entities seeking advice about how to manage the threat of (and hopefully prevent) a targeted act of violence.
While law enforcement officials are appropriately key TTO stakeholders, it is understood among participants that law enforcement intervention is by no means the be-all and end-all in preventing an attack. In fact, experience teaches that such an intervention may, at times, be counter- productive, and that the best line of defense may be the help and support of a classmate, colleague, family member, or friend. The TTO program can equip those positioned to intervene with the knowledge and resources necessary to do so effectively. This kind of intervention — while perhaps not attention grabbing — may do more to help our communities avoid a mass tragedy than anything that happens in a courtroom.
As the chief federal law enforcement official in Hawaii, I believe that our communities deserve more than a successful prosecution — they deserve the most thoughtful, forward- leaning and community-based approaches to saving lives. And it is my hope that through programs like TTO those in our communities who seek to prevent an attack will have the resources to do so within their reach.
Kenji M. Price is the U.S. attorney in Hawaii.
