Here We Go Again

Here we go again. Another place of safety turned into a crime scene.  More proof that no business, school, or house of worship is off-limits to attackers.

On August 27, tragedy struck at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis during a school-wide Mass. A 23-year-old former student, Robin Westman, arrived armed with a rifle and opened fire from outside, shooting more than 100 rounds through the windows into pews filled with children, teachers, and parishioners.

Two children, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski, were killed. Eighteen others were injured, most of them children. The shooter never made it into the school itself because locked doors prevented entry; but by then the damage was already done. Westman took his own life outside the church.

This was not the “typical” where a gunman stormed hallways, no hostage standoff, no long siege. It was unconventional, devastating, and fast. The locked doors worked as intended, yet they could not stop bullets fired from outside into a crowd of unprotected children.

The Lesson for SMBs

Small and mid-sized business (SMB) leaders may read this and think: That’s a school, not us. But the vulnerabilities are strikingly similar. SMBs often rely on the basics: a locked front door, a receptionist, or perhaps a security camera. And while those measures are important, they are not enough when a threat is unconventional.

Think about the parallels:

• Most SMBs have glass storefronts, lobby windows, or ground-floor offices exposed to the street.
• Many hold staff meetings, town halls, or company events where employees gather in one place.
• Few have practiced what to do if an attacker fires from outside, drives a vehicle into the lobby, or strikes at a time when people are most vulnerable.

If a Catholic school with locked doors and a community focus could not prevent this tragedy, how would your business fare?

Unconventional Threats Are Still Threats

The reality is that attackers do not follow rules. They seek surprise, disruption, and maximum impact. This isn’t new. In 2017, a gunman in Sutherland Springs, Texas, stood outside a church and opened fire through windows, killing 26 people. Just like Minneapolis, the initial attack bypassed locks and alarms because the threat came from outside.  In New York, a gunman walked into a corporate skyscraper wearing body armor. In Minneapolis, a shooter stood outside and fired into windows. Next time, it could be arson set at a business entrance, or an attack timed for a company holiday party.

This unpredictability is why Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) matter. Plans shouldn’t just prepare for the obvious, they must also account for the unconventional.

The good news: preparing for unconventional attacks doesn’t require a corporate security budget. It requires awareness, planning, and practice. Here are a few cost-effective measures SMBs can take:

• Window film or ballistic laminates: Affordable upgrades that make it harder for glass to shatter, buying precious seconds.
• Designated safe rooms: Identify interior spaces without windows and with lockable doors. Make sure employees know where to go during an external threat.
• Lockdown drills: Even one rehearsal can break through the freeze response and give employees confidence in what to do.
• Communication protocols: Assign roles: who calls 911, who alerts employees, who checks doors. Clarity reduces chaos.
• Security awareness training: Teach staff that threats don’t always look like someone barging through the front door. They may come from outside, during events, or in unexpected ways.

None of these measures are costly. What they require is leadership.

Duty of Care and Reputation

After a crisis, businesses are judged by how they protected their people. Employees trust leadership to provide a safe environment. Clients and the community pay attention too. After the dust has settled, the question is always asked: Did the business leaders prepare, or did they leave people exposed?

The absence of preparation isn’t just a moral failure; it’s a financial one. Lawsuits, OSHA citations, and insurance hikes can cripple an unprepared business. Conversely, a simple, practiced plan shows diligence, reduces liability, and earns loyalty.

Practice Replaces Panic

At Annunciation, locked doors likely saved lives. But for the children inside, panic and confusion still reigned. The same is true for businesses. Hardware can delay but only planning and practice can direct human behavior under stress. When adrenaline and cortisol can overwhelm clear thinking, muscle memory from drills can mean the difference between chaos and survival.

A Call to SMB Leaders

“Here we go again” should not be the only thing we say after tragedy. The uncomfortable truth is that attacks can be unconventional, unpredictable, and increasingly frequent. Schools, churches, and businesses all share the same reality: emergencies happen fast, and law enforcement cannot be everywhere at once.

The measure of business leadership isn’t just in growth or profits; it’s in how well you prepare your people for the unthinkable. Small and mid-sized businesses don’t need perfection; they need a plan that’s written, shared, and rehearsed. Because in the first moments of crisis, employees won’t rise to the occasion, they’ll fall to the level of their preparation.