VOA慢速英语2019 美国有关校园枪击案的报告显示多数是“可以预防的”

A new study suggests that many of the deadly school shootings in the United States over the past 10 years could have been prevented.

Most students who carried out such an attack had shown threatening or suspicious¹ behavior, but were not reported to law enforcement, the study found.

The U.S. Secret Service reported the findings last week.

The study was based on an in-depth examination of 41 incidents of "targeted school violence." All of the attacks happened over a 10-year period from 2008 to 2017.

The Secret Service's National Threat Assessment² Center collected information from police reports, as well as public and non-public investigation³ records.

The findings will be used to train school officials and law enforcement to better identify students who may be plotting an attack.

Lina Alathari is head of the National Threat Assessment Center. She told The Associated Press that most school shootings "are not sudden, impulsive⁴ acts where a student suddenly gets disgruntled." She added that "the majority of these incidents are preventable."

In 80 percent of the shootings, the attacker's behavior was so worrisome to others that it made them express concern about "the safety of the attacker or those around them."

The study found that the shootings took place quickly and often ended within 60 seconds or less. Law enforcement rarely arrived while the attack was happening. Attacks generally started during school hours and happened in a single area, such as a dining hall, restroom or classroom.

Most of the attackers were male, but seven were female. Researchers reported that 63 percent of the attackers were white. Fifteen percent were black, 5 percent Hispanic and 2 percent American Indian or Alaska Native.

The attackers most often used guns, but knives were sometimes used. Investigators⁵ said most of the weapons came from the homes of the attacker.

The report identified warning signs that school officials, families and other students could use to help them recognize a possible attacker. These include signs of increased anger, a clear interest in weapons and violence, depression or isolation⁶, self-harm or sudden behavioral changes.

The study found most U.S. schools have security cameras as well as planned lockdown measures for shooting situations. However, only 17 percent of the schools had a system in place where students or families can directly contact officials about a student in crisis⁷.

The study was launched following the 2018 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

The fathers of three students killed in the attack attended a media event timed to the release of the study.

Tony Montalto, whose daughter Gina Rose died in the Florida shooting, said the research was invaluable⁸ and could have helped her school prevent the attack.

"My lovely daughter might still be here today," he said. "Our entire community would be whole instead of forever shaken."

Montalto urged other schools to pay close attention to the findings. "Please, learn from our experience. It happened to us, and it could happen to your community, too," he said.

Words in This Story

impulsive – adj. doing things suddenly and without careful thought

disgruntled – adj. angry

isolation – n. the condition or state of being separate from other people, places or things

lockdown – n. a condition in which people are temporarily barred from entering or leaving a restricted area.

1 suspicious   

adj.可疑的，容易引起怀疑的，猜疑的，疑心的

参考例句：

• A man was hanging about the house in a suspicious manner.一个男人在房子周围可疑地荡来荡去。
• He's so suspicious he would distrust his own mother.他这个人疑心太重，连自己的母亲也不相信。

2 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 impulsive   

adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的

参考例句：

• She is impulsive in her actions.她的行为常出于冲动。
• He was neither an impulsive nor an emotional man,but a very honest and sincere one.他不是个一冲动就鲁莽行事的人，也不多愁善感.他为人十分正直、诚恳。

5 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

7 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

8 invaluable   

adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的

参考例句：

• A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
• This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。