Russian School Massacre

NO FUNDS FOR SECURITY ?

By Stephen Wilson 

School shootings are now going global. This 19 year old
shot up a school in Kazan, Russia and killed children & teahers.

           "I was surprised to hear a report on Russian state channel that  the security forces reacted well to this attack on the school in Kazan. For five minutes this attacker was able to run around the school killing and injuring many children and staff. I heard ten died and many were injured and they describe the security as perfect," stated a Russian school teacher in sheer amazement at this bizarre claim. 

The school teacher was referring to a horrendous incident on the 11th May when a 19 year old casually walked into school number 175 in Kazan, Russia, with a Hatsan Escort 12 calibre semi automatic rifle  and recommenced shooting in school. As many as seven 8th grade students and two teachers have been reported dead and over twenty injured. The victims included school children aged 13 to 14 years old as well as a Russian English teacher and a math teacher. The reports of children and adults trembling in fear and crying, and experiencing intense fear as well as jumping from windows to escape this killer has shocked people all over the World. The reaction has been largely disbelief, disgust and astonishment at this horrendous event. 

While travelling in the metro I noticed how sad and sullen many passengers seemed. I had witnessed such moods before after terrorist attacks. A mother of two children Tanya asked me, "Why are we witnessing so many recent attacks? Is this because of some young person who can't handle the transition to adulthood? I think all this comes from America! We didn't use to have such mass shootings!"

 

People are asking 'Why has this happened?' It seems plainly obvious that this was the act of a mad man who had lost it. Before attacking the school the 19 year old made a public announcement on a social network with a cap saying, "I am God, and you will be my slaves," and stating how he hated people and the world. In recent days people acquainted with this person reported how he had begun to lose his temper, knock aggressively on the doors of people and burst into rants. Some reports claim that medical examinations found proof of brain damage.

 

Many newspaper reports describe the shooter as 'a terrorist'. This can confuse the issue. This term is usually used in relation to politically-motivated acts. The use of such terminology certainly does not improve our understanding of the motives. I remember while I was studying psychology at university we had to answer an exam question on, 'Is there a typical profile or psychological type which offers a typical profile of a terrorist?' Psychologists could not come up with an answer. There was no typical terrorist. All the explanations offered could be easily refuted by lack of empirical evidence. Since it was the easiest question to answer in the exam I chose it. It was a piece of cake. The question still baffles people. As for school shooters we hear explanations such as the negative influence of computer games which desensitizes people, lack of emotional intelligence of the killers for potential victims and the profile of the lone wolf killer incapable of holding or forming relationships with people. The favorite expression is 'inadequate' person. But this begs the question as to why so many so-called 'inadequate ' people don't turn into mass murderers? And some 'inadequate 'people actually become adequate!  A highly pessimistic person might say there is nothing humanity can do to protect himself against such people. It is inevitable! this notion is highly questionable as well as morally objectionable.

 

Tighter security and strictly gun license control can at least decrease the damage if not completely prevent such acts. Why was it so easy for a 19 year old to purchase such a lethal weapon as a Hatsan Escort semi automatic weapon at the inexpensive price of between 30 to 70,000 rubles? How on earth could this person legally obtain a gun license? Just over two years ago a lone killer burst into a college in the Crimea on 17th October 2018 and killed 21 people with the exact same weapon! Gun control and the security of institutions of education were supposed to be strictly reviewed.

 

In the case of school number 175 there was not a single security man. The janitor who tried to prevent the killer from entering was shot but managed to press the security alarm. Why were there no security guards employed at this school? The school claimed that it could not afford to employ security guards! The security around schools has been privatized as the government refuses to provide enough funds. Over the last few years the school had made a contract with some private security companies and they requested that security in the school be maintained by electronic passes and video cameras. As far as Kazan is concerned the security of schools has become monopolized by one company 'Your Security'. From 2014 to 2016 this company won contracts with 440 out of 517 educational institutions which dealt with children. In 2020, this company secured two year contracts with as many as 500 city schools, kindergartens and clubs including school 175 which was the subject of this attack. Should the lives of school children be subject to private companies seeking to make a lucrative profit? Is it not the role of the government to provide sufficient funds for the protection of school children and staff?

 

The security in schools can be anything from very strict to lax. I once worked at a Russian school where two odd guys walked past the security man who did nothing to stop them entering my class and interrupting my lesson to try and haggle a price for English lessons. The security of schools is often given to pensioners and people with no real training in security. The pay for being a security man can sometimes be a pittance. For instance, at school number 88 in Kazan the pay is currently 12,000 rubles. This is hardly going to attract professionals. Not anyone can be employed as a security person. This should be regarded as an important profession. A security man should have training in self defense and should at least know one of the martial arts as well as how to effectively shoot. He should also be highly familiar with how to react in emergency situations and how to communicate with people. However, all too often, in Russia as well as other countries, this work is left to amateurs and this profession is not respected as much as it deserves. But I have witnessed some companies who take security very seriously. As a teacher I used to drop into the huge building of the company Yandex. While waiting for my student I noticed that every morning, a head of security would line up his staff and give a lecture on what to do in emergency situations like an outbreak of fire or terrorist incidents. The guards were encouraged to ask questions and ask for advice. I was impressed by the professionalism of the head. He seemed to have his head screwed on to his shoulders and took his job seriously. Of course, you might maintain that schools don't have the funds to employ such conscientious staff. Really??! The government actually has sufficient reserve fund as well as huge resources in lucrative companies from which it can draw good money. A price can't be put on the life of a single school child or staff member!

 

This article acknowledges the influence of Novaya Gazetta , number 50{3204} 12.05.21

Not Enough Money for Security Guards by Vladimir Prokushev