It’s not your imagination: Active killer events are becoming more common and less predictable. As a result, they are also increasingly difficult to contain and resolve and more deadly.

According to the FBI, active shooter incident data reveals an upward trend; the number of active shooter incidents identified in 2021 represented a 52.5% increase from 2020 and a 96.8% increase from 2017.

Unfortunately, according to recent reporting from the New York Times, most active shooting events end before the police arrive. According to their analysis, police could only stop an active shooter via lethal force or physically subdue the shooter about 30% of the time. 26% of the active killers escaped the scene (although most were ultimately captured), while 25% committed suicide.

The rise in active shooter events highlights a need to improve preparedness and strengthen training efforts. Because an active shooter incident is usually over in a short period (10-15 minutes), officers must have the training to arrive mentally and tactically prepared.

 

Preparing to Respond to Active Killer/Active Shooter Events

Since 1994, MILO has been a world-leading provider of interactive virtual and live-fire simulation training systems for law enforcement, military, security, first responders, emergency medical services, and other public safety agencies. MILO Specializes in “holistic” training solutions that combine established law enforcement best practices.

With MILO simulation-based training, police officers can prepare for the complexity of large events with many potential victims while avoiding the logistical challenges of live training in a school, church, or shopping center. Officers will have the opportunity to practice in high-pressure, high-population, and high-danger situations.

MILO has been working with teams of subject matter experts to create new and better training scenarios that thoroughly prepare officers to make tactical decisions during a complex active shooter event.