Eagle Idaho Active Shooter

On April 1st, 2021, a tragic active shooter incident occurred in Eagle, Idaho. This incident resulted in the death of one individual and the injury of two others. The shooter was later identified as a 20-year-old male who had previously been in legal trouble.

An active shooter is defined as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.”

The Eagle Idaho active shooter incident is an example of the growing trend of active shooter incidents in the United States. According to the FBI, active shooter incidents have increased from 6.4 incidents per year from 2000-2006 to 16.4 incidents per year from 2007-2013. In addition, the number of casualties resulting from these incidents has also increased, from an average of 4.4 casualties per incident from 2000-2006 to 5.6 casualties per incident from 2007-2013.

In response to the growing trend of active shooter incidents, the Department of Homeland Security has released a series of recommendations and guidelines to help individuals prepare for and respond to active shooter incidents. These include:

• Be aware of your environment and any possible dangers. Pay attention to your surroundings and be aware of any suspicious activity. If you see something, say something.
• Have an emergency plan in place. Decide where you would go in the event of an active shooter incident and how you would get there. Make sure all family members are familiar with the plan.
• When an active shooter is in your vicinity, run. If there is an accessible escape route, take it. Otherwise, hide in an area out of the shooter’s view. If you are unable to flee or hide, as a last resort, take action against the shooter.
• Call 911 when it is safe to do so. Provide the dispatcher with as much information as possible, such as the location of the shooter, the number of shooters, and the types of weapons being used.

No one should have to experience an active shooter incident. However, it is important to be aware of the potential danger and to be prepared in the event that such an incident occurs. The Department of Homeland Security offers additional resources and information about active shooter incidents and how to respond to them at https://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness.