As workplace shootings become more common throughout the U.S., HR and corporate leaders may feel unsure of the best way to react and communicate afterward, particularly if the violence occurred on their premises and someone was injured. Most likely, the event was chaotic, disruptive, traumatic and frightening for many workers. It may take some time to recover from the damage done to employee morale, and the physical building and business operations.
Since 2009, there have been 289 mass shootings in the U.S., resulting in 1,622 people killed and 1,074 people wounded, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun violence prevention nonprofit organization based in New York City. Some of these shootings have occurred in the workplace. In the first week of 2023, two people were killed at a McDonalds in Searcy, Ark., and three people were shot and wounded at a Walmart in Chicago, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit data collection group based in Washington, D.C.
Here's what you need to know about responding to a workplace shooting immediately afterward and in the weeks and months following the event.
Immediately Afterward
Providing clear and accurate communication immediately after the event is crucial. "HR is the air traffic controller after a shooting incident," said Larry Barton, a consultant who specializes in workplace violence and serves as a crisis management professor at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla. "Act on verified information only...
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