School Hammer Attack
A 9-year old student was on the playground when parent volunteer lured her into a restroom in the school and assaulted her with a hammer. A security guard and a teacher walked in on the attack and was able to put a stop to it. The girl was taken to a nearby children’s hospital. The attacker has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
Analysis
While there has been a lot of attention paid to Active Shooters in schools, schools should also be prepared for assaults using a variety of weapons. Claw hammers can make fearsome weapons, are easily concealed, and are readily available.
In the book Staying Alive: How to Act Fast and Survive Deadly Encounters, a couple named Abe and Erin are featured. They survived an assault in their home by a man wielding a hammer and a hatchet. Abe successfully fought off the attacker while being grievously wounded. His actions saved the lives of five people, including his own.
Abe in the hospital recovering from his hatchet and hammer wounds.
Schools should not focus on a single aspect of school emergency response, but on techniques and procedures that can be used in multiple types of incidents. Research shows it is best to use scenario-based training to build a base of knowledge from which to operate. Using different types of scenarios will build a broader base of knowledge.
The link below is the story of Abe and Erin’s ordeal.