Library Will Host Talk On How To Prevent, Prepare For 'Targeted Mass Shootings'

There were 14 mass shootings in the United States in 2012, according to the Washington Post.

The targets included a coffee shop in Seattle, a movie theater in Colorado, a sikh temple in Wisconsin, an elementary school in Connecticut and -- lest we forget -- Chardon High School.

More than ever, the realization has set in that something like this -- what experts call "targeted mass shootings" -- can happen anywhere.

Consequently, two men with experience in campus security are hosting a special presentation on targeted campus shootings 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the main branch of the Mentor Public Library.

The talk will be led retired U.S. Secret Senior Special Agent Gregory Truhan and retired Lakeland Community College Campus Police Chief James McBride.

Truhan and McBride will share the vital knowledge they have acquired over the years regarding the tragic and violent phenomena of mass shootings on American campuses.

The presentation is designed for audiences interested in discussing the preventability of targeted mass-shootings in all types of campus settings -- from kindergarten through college.

However, their suggestions will also be applicable to other locations, including malls, hospitals, theaters, libraries and the like.

Truhan is the program director of the Criminal Justice Department at Lakeland Community College. Before that, he was in the Secret Service for 22 years. Truhan not only protected many important dignitaries, including several United States Presidents, from attack; but also witnessed the growth of the agency’s interest in targeted mass-shootings in American schools.

He will discuss the Secret Service’s effort to study school shootings in depth and explain the importance of behavioral intervention in relationship to preventing an incident like this.

McBride -- former police chief and director of public safety at Lakeland and campus security specialist -- has completed five years of research into campus-related shootings and will discuss some of the results of that research. McBride currently serves as a criminal justice instructor at Lakeland.

“We believe this will be an informative topic for our patrons,” said Barbara Vendeville, the community outreach coordinator at Mentor Public Library. “Hopefully Mr. Truhan and Chief McBride might help us gain a better insight into why this violence is escalating in our country.”

The talk is free to attend. However, the library asks that people register beforehand. They can do so online or by calling 440-255-8811.