221B Strives to Identify Red Flags Before Tragedy Strikes
Like much of the country, I’ve been following coverage of the Fourth of July mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, about 20 miles from 221B Partners’ office in Chicago. Sadly, these kinds of stories are all too common and lead people to ask many of the same questions: How could someone do this? Were there warning signs? Could this have been prevented?
Since the tragedy, numerous media outlets have reported on red flags in the life of the shooting suspect. Police records show officers were regularly called to his family’s home regarding domestic issues with his parents. In April 2019, police officers responded to a call that the suspect “attempted to commit suicide with a machete.” A police report noted he had “a history of attempts.” Later that year, police confiscated weapons from the suspect’s home after he threatened to “kill everyone.” He also posted videos online glorifying violence.
These details remind me of the kinds of information 221B Partners digs up during our threat investigations. Clients may seek help from us if they have an employee who’s made violent threats to their coworkers or if a person is repeatedly harassing them online or in person. Unfortunately, these types of investigations are not out of the ordinary.
To help assess the level of threat and determine appropriate next steps, 221B Partners conducts public records research into subjects of interest to get a fuller picture of their lives and whether they have a history of concerning behavior. This can include:
Searching criminal records to see if they have been previously charged with crimes related to violence, harassment, stalking or using weapons. Other criminal cases are also helpful. For example, a string of recent drug arrests could indicate a subject is acting under the influence. Even something as seemingly innocuous as traffic citations could provide useful information. Criminal records also might show who the subject called after an arrest, which may be someone we want to interview down the road.
Researching civil records to identify any past restraining orders, orders of protection or workplace violence cases. Civil court records can also give insight into other stressors in a person’s life, like whether he or she is going through a divorce, received some bad medical news, or is foreclosing on a house. It can also reveal if someone is a serial litigant.
Filing public records requests with local law enforcement agencies seeking records of arrests or calls for service associated with a subject or his or her address. Often, police respond to incidents that do not result in a criminal charge. These requests help us to identify concerning incidents that never resulted in a court case or to get additional details about ones that did. We also might identify potential new witnesses to interview such as a neighbor, family member or significant other.
Searching press archives for any mentions of concerning incidents involving subjects of interest.
Researching their online footprint to identify any disturbing posts made on social media.
Identifying an individual’s current residence, regular hangouts, and close associates such as family and friends. All of these are important details to gather during this background phase of work so that we have it when we need it.
This in-depth background research is just one piece of the larger threat assessment process involving a multidisciplinary team that can include a clinical forensic psychologist and other mental health professionals; a trusted source like a parent, spouse, teacher or colleague; and local law enforcement officers. If the case involves an employee, a team of HR, legal and security professionals are also often involved.
There is no way to predict the future with absolute certainty. But we strive to help our clients and these multi-disciplinary teams identify red flags early and take meaningful action before tragedy occurs.