Page 14 - Read Online
P. 14
Schmidt et al. J Surveill Secur Saf 2020;1:1-15 I http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/jsss.2019.02 Page 7
Figure 1. Graphic timeline of the incident and campus map (source: ref. [35] )
(6) The university emergency plan did not include scenarios of a shooting and the assignment of a threat
assessment team.
(7) The university had insufficient security systems such as cameras in dormitories and entrances to
buildings as well as locks on classrooms.
3.2.3 Consequences
Twenty-seven students and five teachers were killed, and 17 people wounded by 23-year-old Virginia Tech
student Seung-Hui Cho [35,36] .
3.2.4 FTA and RBD
The FTA illustrated in Figure 2 identifies the direct causes and contributing factors leading to the Virginia
Tech Shooting. The equivalent RBD is then cited in Figure 3, where every OR is series and every AND is
parallel structure. The first direct cause defined is gunman Cho. Insufficient treatment, worsening mental
health and a lacking supporting system were linked with an AND- gate to demonstrate their almost
simultaneous occurrence. The insufficient treatment resulted from an inadequate evaluation of his mental
health and lack of reporting. Another direct cause is linked to Cho’s ability to purchase the guns due to
reporting failures about the unstable mental health of Cho and a gap in gun laws. The third direct cause
relates to the university and its lack of internal communication, the misinterpretation of the mental health
and education laws, as well as the overall insufficient evaluation of Cho’s situation. The contributing factors
are linked with an AND-gate addressing the deficiency in responding to the incident and the lack of