Shooting & Workplace Violence | Total Security Solutions

Shooting and Workplace Violence: A Guide to Prevention & Response

On April 15, 2021, a 19-year-old former employee opened fire at a FedEx Ground facility near Indianapolis International Airport, killing four employees in the parking lot and another four inside the hub before taking his own life.

This active shooter event took place in under four minutes, underscoring how fast workplace violence can unfold.

High-profile incidents like this mass shooting are becoming more commonplace, underscoring the importance of conducting workplace risk assessments and implementing physical security solutions.

Workplace Violence Trends

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 458 workplace homicides occurred in 2023, and 81% of these involved gunshot wounds. While this is slightly down from the previous year, when 524 people were killed and 83% of those deaths involved firearms, it does represent an overall increase in gun violence since 2020.

Additionally, from 2015-2019, 1.3 million employees also experienced nonfatal workplace violence, with over 529,000 of them having injuries serious enough to be treated in the emergency room, according to a 2022 report from the BLS and Bureau of Justice Statistics.

These numbers include nonfatal shootings and other forms of assault, including being punched, hit, or kicked.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act’s General Duty Clause requires employers to provide a safe workplace free from recognized hazards that could cause death or serious injury.

When an incident occurs, OSHA can cite employers who fail to take reasonable security measures to protect employees, visitors, and other persons on employer property.

For employers, the stakes are clear: failing to prepare for shooting and workplace violence endangers lives while also risking exposure to legal liability, financial loss, and permanent damage to your reputation.

Understanding Workplace Violence

Between 2000 and 2019, the FBI documented 333 active shooter incidents across the U.S. and found about 70% of active shooter events took place in commercial settings or schools.

Workplace violence encompasses any violent act or threatening behavior toward employees, visitors, contractors, or fellow employees.

The U.S. Department of Labor and CDC’s Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) identify four main categories:

Criminal Intent (Type I)

In these incidents, the perpetrators have no relationship to the workplace or employees. These are often characterized as random acts of violence and are often the result of criminal acts like burglaries or robberies. About half (47%) of all nonfatal workplace violence incidents reported from 2015-2019 fell into this category, according to a July 2022 study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Customer/Client (Type II)

This characterizes violence committed by clients, patients, or customers. These acts are often motivated by anger, conflict, and/or economic or legal issues, according to data from The Violence Project, a nonprofit institute funded by the National Institute of Justice. This is especially common in the healthcare sector: the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience violence compared to other employees.

Worker-on-Worker (Type III)

Worker-on-worker violence involves current or former employees targeting other employees or supervisors. Management-level employees were among the top five groups among homicide victims, according to BLS data. Security guards and transportation employees are also more likely to be attacked, according to this data.

Personal Relationship (Type IV)

This type characterizes domestic violence or disputes brought into the workplace. According to OSHA, 27% of all incidents of workplace violence involved domestic relationships.

Partner violence remains a leading cause of workplace attacks, especially among women.

Ideological Violence

In these situations, an attacker is motivated by an extreme ideology, and the attack is usually the result of lengthy planning. They may act alone, or conspire with other like-minded individuals or extremist groups.

While NIOSH does not include this as a category of workplace violence, it is a growing problem, with recent attacks targeting family planning and fertility clinics and the 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Industries at the Highest Risk for Workplace Violence

While every workplace has a unique threat profile depending on the nature of work, location, and past incidents, there are some industries where violence is more prevalent.

Retail

Cash handling, extended hours, and heavy public contact elevate risk from robberies and customer aggression. For instance, in 2022, nearly one in four workplace homicides were aimed at people in sales-related jobs such as cashiers, according to BLS data.

As a result, many retail stores focus on making security upgrades that protect front-line workers, such as custom bullet-resistant barriers or transaction windows.

Healthcare and Social Assistance

Hospitals, clinics, and behavioral health settings account for the vast majority of serious, nonfatal injuries due to workplace violence. From 2021–2022, 73% of all nonfatal injuries resulting from violence in the private sector were in healthcare or social services, according to BLS data.

Emergency room violence is also very common.

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians and Emergency Nurses Association, nearly 50% of physicians and 70% of nurses reported having been hit or kicked on the job.

In these settings where lives are on the line and emotions run high, shooting incidents can also occur. In one incident at a Pennsylvania hospital, the shooter killed a police officer and wounded five others, including a doctor, nurse, and custodian.

Healthcare organizations typically focus on adding bulletproof protection to entrances, reception areas, nurse stations, and other areas where violence is likely to take place.

Manufacturing

While manufacturing plants, factories, and warehouses experience lower rates of day-to-day workplace violence compared to public-facing sectors like retail or healthcare, they can be settings of some of the deadliest incidents.

The 2020 Milwaukee brewery shooting in which a man killed five and the 2019 shooting at an Aurora, Ill., plant by an employee who had recently been terminated both involved worker-on-worker violence.

In 2020, “production” occupations accounted for 18 workplace homicides (about five percent of that year’s total), and the related “transportation and material moving” group saw 51 homicides, some tied to warehouse and industrial work.

Because these incidents often stem from internal disputes, layoffs, or personal grievances, preventing them requires a nuanced and multi-faceted approach, including early HR intervention, badge-controlled access, and active shooter response planning.

Physical security can also be part of the solution. For instance, many warehouses and distribution centers have guard shacks to manage access and may also consider converting an existing space into a safe room by adding bulletproof doors and windows.

The Cost of Inaction

Loss of Life and Psychological Trauma

Each violent incident leaves lasting scars. The shooter at the FedEx facility killed eight employees within minutes. Each employee left behind family, friends, and a community who mourns their loss. Many coworkers survived but are forced to live with the trauma for the rest of their lives. They may suffer PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

Financial Losses

While the cost of human lives is immeasurable, businesses also have to face the reality of medical expenses, workers' compensation, and potential legal fees after a shooting. In a 2023 report, The Burden of Violence to U.S. Hospitals, the American Hospital Association estimated the total cost of violence to hospitals at over $18 billion.

Reputation Damage

In the age of viral media, a single violent act can brand a workplace as unsafe. This can have a lasting impact, making customers hesitant to visit and prospective employees more reluctant to work there.

Regulatory Liability

OSHA’s General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1), requires employers to keep the workplace “free from recognized hazards” likely to cause death or serious physical harm. While there is no specific mention of workplace violence, OSHA has cited employers under this clause when they fail to protect employees from violence when previous incidents or reports have shown there is a clear risk.

For instance, OSHA referenced this clause in a 2019 case against a health management company when a mental health services employee was stabbed by a client with a violent history. OSHA has also published guidelines for preventing workplace violence for healthcare, social services, and other sectors.

Building a Multi-Layered Prevention Strategy

While no single measure can eliminate the risk of workplace violence, a strategy that blends risk assessment, physical security, policies, and employee training mitigates incidents and defends against them when they do occur.

The steps outlined here are not meant to be comprehensive, but they illustrate several of the most effective actions employers can take to reduce risk, protect employees, and give law enforcement personnel critical time to respond during an active shooter situation.

By combining environmental design, ballistic protection, and preparedness training, organizations create workplaces that are both secure and functional.

Recognize Warning Signs

The most effective defense against workplace violence is early intervention. Both employers and employees play a critical role in identifying potential threats by staying alert and reporting concerns before they escalate into a violent incident.

FBI behavioral research has found 80-90% of mass shooters “leaked” hints they were planning an attack, former FBI agent Katherine Schweit told Axios.

The FBI’s Active Shooter Quick Reference Guide shares other valuable information to watch for, based on a 13-year analysis of shootings:

73% had a connection with the attack site
35% targeted their workplace or former workplace
55% made threats or had a confrontation prior to the shooting
21% studied past attacks
40% purchased a firearm legally, while 35% already had a firearm

62% of active shooters experienced mental health challenges in the year before the attack, and 25% had a diagnosed mental illness
49% had financial stress
48% had a suicidal ideation
35% had job-related stress
29% had previous conflicts with peers

Work with your HR department to develop a process for employees to confidentially report concerning incidents, and train them to say something if they see something.

Reports of verbal abuse, physical altercations, fixation on weapons, aggressive outbursts, or other threatening behavior should trigger immediate action.

Domestic violence spillover is another significant risk, as restraining orders alone may not prevent an aggressor from appearing at the workplace. Proactive steps such as access control, secure vestibules, and ballistic barrier systems can provide additional protection while giving law enforcement personnel more time to respond.

Harden Entry Points

Securing entry points is one of the most effective ways to prevent shooting and workplace violence before it reaches employees.

Every second an attacker is delayed provides more time for law enforcement personnel to arrive and for employees to reach safety.

A well-designed access control system includes several elements working together, including:

Guard shacks to manage access and provide the first layer of deterrence against unauthorized or threatening behavior
Bullet-resistant and forced-entry-resistant doors tested to common standards based on your assessed threat level, including UL 752 and ASTM standards.
Windows and framing tested to these same standards

Many buildings also use secure vestibules or mantraps, two sets of interlocking doors that create a controlled entry. In an emergency, these vestibules can be locked to trap an intruder, preventing escalation deeper into the workplace.

Together, these elements create a systems approach to security in the workplace, protecting employees and buying time in active shooter situations.

Protect High-Risk Areas

Human resources offices and executive suites are frequently at the center of high-risk workplace interactions, from disciplinary meetings and terminations to strategic decision-making that may spark resentment.

These spaces are often isolated from main traffic areas, which can make them more vulnerable in an active shooter incident.

To reduce these risks, Total Security Solutions designs and installs ballistic doors tested to common standards for bullet resistance and forced entry, including UL 752.

Offices reinforced with fiberglass walls and with bullet-resistant glazing offer additional layers of protection for executives who may be more likely to be targeted by an attacker.

Integrating these ballistic barriers into the existing layout balances security with functionality and aesthetics.

Have a Designated Safe Room

Safe rooms are one of the most effective ways to protect employees during active shooter events or other violent incidents.

For many organizations, the most practical approach is to retrofit existing conference rooms. This typically involves adding bullet-resistant wall panels, reinforced doors, and ballistic glazing tested to UL 752 standards appropriate to the threat level.

Train and Prepare Staff

Preparing employees to respond to a violent incident is just as essential as installing physical barriers. This includes regular training in the Run-Hide-Fight protocol endorsed by the Department of Homeland Security, knowing where safe rooms are located, and when to call for help.

Training company leaders to identify warning signs and use de-escalation techniques can also help to build confidence. The most effective organizations practice scenario-based drills tailored to their building layouts.

Anonymous reporting systems are another vital component, giving employees a way to report concerns about threatening behavior without fear of retaliation.

By combining these preparedness measures with physical upgrades, employers create a culture of safety where employees feel supported and protected.

Why Ballistic Protection Matters

Mass shootings, workplace mass shootings, and other forms of targeted violence can happen in any industry. Too often, organizations respond by reinforcing a single entry point. But violence is rarely that predictable: attackers can readily force their way through a side door, or break through a single pane of glass on a first-floor window.

A systems approach ensures every component of your security plan works together as part of a coordinated strategy.

The goal is to delay attackers, contain threats, and protect employees long enough for law enforcement personnel to intervene.

Total Security Solutions’ Proven Process

We understand that preventing workplace violence requires more than policy updates or off-the-shelf fixes. That’s why we partner with you to design and deliver comprehensive ballistic security systems that safeguard employees and visitors alike.

Over the past two decades, we’ve protected more than 30,000 facilities, including offices, manufacturing sites, hospitals, and financial institutions, each with unique risks and challenges.

From bullet-resistant doors and windows to executive suites and safe rooms, we develop custom solutions that blend into the environment while providing durable, proven protection.

This level of integration is what separates our comprehensive solutions from providers who offer off-the-shelf products.

Our proven process allows us to deliver these solutions with the industry’s fastest lead times and ensure they’re done right the first time.

We manage every aspect of your project in-house, from planning and design to fabrication and installation. Our teams often work after hours or during holidays to minimize disruptions and meet renovation deadlines.

When you’re ready to take the first step toward upgrading your workplace security, contact us to schedule a consultation.