Latest news with #workplaceviolence
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How should an office building protect itself from mass shootings?
After a gunman opened fire in a New York City office building and killed four people, experts expressed some concerns regarding security in workplace environments. Four people were killed and one was injured on Monday after police say 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura entered a Midtown Manhattan office building -- which is home to the NFL headquarters -- wearing body armor and opened fire with a high-powered rifle, according to authorities. Donald Mihalek, a senior ABC News law enforcement contributor and retired United States Secret Service agent, said these types of workplace shootings are on the rise due to people -- employees and those not affiliated with the company -- feeling more comfortable with vilifying corporations and taking out their grievances through violence. From 1994 to 2021, 16,497 U.S. workers were "intentionally killed while at work," according to 2024 study. Other recent shootings that occurred at workplaces include the 2021 incident at an office complex in Southern California, killing four people, and a 2023 incident at a bank in Kentucky, killing five and injuring eight. "Corporations are now feeling what governments have felt for many years, being targeted, being vilified," Mihalek told ABC News. So, what was learned from this incident and how can office buildings help mitigate these shootings from escalating? Security outside an office building and artificial intelligence monitoring potential threats On Monday, the suspect emerged from a double-parked BMW with an M4-style weapon Palmetto State Armory PA-15 rifle, entered the lobby alone, immediately opened fire on a New York Police Department officer and sprayed the lobby with bullets. MORE: Manhattan shooting victims: What we know about those killed Richard Frankel, an ABC News contributor and retired FBI special agent, said Tamura's ability to leave his vehicle double-parked and walk with a visible weapon "without anyone even thinking about it or causing concern" is "a little bit of an issue." "It's crazy that he was able to walk on a Manhattan street into a building and not be seen carrying a long gun," Frankel told ABC News. "How was he able to just walk with no one seeing him carrying an assault weapon and actually having it dangle out from his jacket?" To prevent something similar happening in the future, Frankel said a corporation increasing its security presence outside the building -- by establishing a private government partnership or hiring individuals -- could help prevent the threat from actually entering the presence. Frankel also said there is artificial intelligence and video technology used by federal buildings that could "observe what somebody is doing and consider whether that's a threat or not." If an armed individual is approaching the building, "an alarm would go off" with this technology, Frankel said. Understanding the difference between handgun and rifle violence With this shooting, the gunman opened fire using a rifle, which is a "more powerful weapon" that can travel a greater distance and has a greater capacity to penetrate compared to a handgun, Mihalek said. MORE: What we know about Shane Devon Tamura, the suspect of the Midtown Manhattan shooting Thus, corporations should think to make a "significant investment" in armor and bulletproof glass around the entranceways of the building, he said. While it is "very difficult" for someone to protect themselves from a rifle, a "man trap system" -- where somebody has to be let through different phases of the building in order to get to the heart of the structure -- could also help slow down the attack. Conducting threat assessments Mihalek also recommends that corporations conduct threat assessments, where a business identifies individuals -- both employees and those not affiliated with the company -- who may be potential threats of violence due to a recent termination, relationship turmoil or social media posts showing grievances toward the company or individuals at the company. While it is unclear whether the suspect in Monday's shooting was posting threats on social media, officials had found a note in his pocket accusing the National Football League of concealing the dangers to players' brains to maximize profits, sources said. So "chances are he had some type of social media presence or online presence somewhere where he might have said a few things about the NFL," which could have alerted of a potential threat beforehand. This behavioral assessment is a holistic process that detects, identifies and processes potential threats, Mihalek said. "This individual could have perhaps said something concerning online or elsewhere but if no one reports it or is looking, it can't be detected," Mihalek said. Implementing active shooter drills, training for employees Along with buildings implementing additional security and keeping a lookout for potential threats, both Mihalek and Frankel said corporations should implement routine active shooter drills and provide both online and in-person training conducted by local law enforcement. Mihalek said buildings should also partner with local law enforcement and emergency medical services so they can "understand the layout of the building" so that they are prepared for a potential threat to that particular office space. The Department of Homeland Security also has basic active shooter protocols instructing individuals in an active shooter situation to "run, hide and fight," which Mihalek said is used in many schools and is "simple, effective and it works." ABC News' Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Yahoo
A Teen Sent Home for Refusing to Take Out Trash at McDonald's Complained to Mom. Then Her Manager Shot Mom: Cops
A McDonald's manager from Illinois is facing a weapons charge after allegedly shooting the mother of one of her employees. Kathy Bledsoe, 44, was working as manager at a Belleville outpost of the fast food chain on July 16, and at one point in the afternoon instructed a juvenile female to take out the trash, according to the Belleville Police Department. When the teen refused, Bledsoe claimed to police she instructed the girl to clock out for the day. At that point the teen contacted her mother, Tynika R. McKinzie, "who responded to the store with another juvenile female," according to a news release, after which a "verbal disturbance ensued." At some point, McKinzie allegedly made her way behind the counter of the restaurant and to Bledsoe's office. Once there, she allegedly "battered Bledsoe in the face and head" until the manager pulled out a gun and allegedly shot the woman in the leg, according to police. Bledsoe was arrested by police and charged with one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. McKinzie was taken to the hospital to be treated for her injuries and was charged with one count each of aggravated battery and mob action. "It is unfortunate that this incident occurred. It seems individuals are quick to resort to violence to resolve disputes without consideration of the impact their actions have on the community as a whole," Chief of Police Matthew Eiskant said in a statement. "This was an unnecessary incident that could have been mitigated without punches being thrown or a gun being used." Bledsoe and McKinzie did not respond to requests for comment. Read the original article on People
Medscape
16-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Violence Against Nurses, Not Part of the Job Description
Terry Bartmus, DNP, had been bitten, hit, choked, and threatened since she started working in the emergency department in Las Vegas in 2009. Worse, there's been no improvement in the violence. 'I noticed a significant change during COVID, especially when we were on lockdown, of people…lashing out at [hospital] staff,' said Bartmus, a nurse practitioner in the emergency department and assistant professor at Touro University Nevada in Henderson, Nevada. 'I definitely have seen more [workplace violence] in the last 5 years.' Medscape continually surveys physicians and other medical professionals about key practice challenges and current issues, creating high-impact analyses. For example, A Medscape Nurse Practitioner Burnout & Depression report found that 60% of burntout and depressed nurse practitioners reported job stress was a critical factor. One quarter of nurse practitioners reported a lack of respect from patients. More than half felt their employers didn't recognize their stress levels. The latest data from National Nurses United showed that 8 in 10 nurses have experienced at least one incident of workplace violence, and 45% reported an increase in workplace violence on their unit in the past year. The violence registered nurses (RNs) experience includes verbal and physical threats of being pinched, scratched, slapped, punched, and kicked. 'It's sad to me that the violence has [become] just a part of the career,' Bartmus said. 'There are just some facilities that don't take it seriously.' Underreporting Violence Is Common The perpetrators of violence against nurses can range from patients who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol or experiencing mental health issues to grieving families. The hospital experience, including long wait times, unmet expectations, and feelings of anger and powerlessness, can also contribute to violence. Regardless of the cause, workplace violence takes a toll on nurses. As a result of rising rates of workplace violence, nurses often experience increased job stress, absenteeism, burnout, fear, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Workplace violence has become such an epidemic in healthcare that 26% of nurses are considering leaving the profession. The issue has even been highlighted on primetime television. In the medical drama The Pitt , a patient frustrated with long wait times in the emergency department of the fictional Pennsylvania hospital in Pittsburgh violently punches a charge nurse in the face, knocking her to the ground. The nurse goes home after that shift, knowing she likely won't return. Despite the toll that workplace violence takes on nurses, incidents often go unreported. The American Nurses Association cites issues that include poor or nonexistent hospital policies and procedures, complex reporting procedures, and beliefs that patients cannot be held accountable for their actions as reasons that up to 80% of workplace violence against nurses is never documented. Bartmus pointed to a 'lack of consequences' for patients as another reason that nurses are often reluctant to report violent incidents. 'In aviation, even a verbal threat is grounds for being removed from a plane, being reported, and oftentimes the police are called,' she told Medscape Medical News . 'That's not necessarily the case in the hospital.' In fact, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act mandates that healthcare providers screen all patients who come into the emergency department and provide stabilizing treatment. The legislation expects that hospitals will have protocols in place to manage violent patients and can enact those protocols while following the legal requirement to provide screening and treatment. Bartmus admitted that she once didn't report a violent incident that happened while she was working the night shift because she didn't want to call her nurse manager or deal with the paperwork; she has also heard from peers who decided not to press charges because of the hassle of a court hearing or an unwillingness to bog down the police department. Gordon L. Gillespie, PhD, DNP, adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing, Cincinnati, and chief program officer for the National League for Nursing, Washington, DC, was often the target of violence when he worked in the emergency department of a community-based hospital from 1998 to 2012. Even nurses who don't want to file reports with law enforcement should still report physical violence, verbal aggression, and threats internally. 'Institutions should make it required,' he said. 'Increased reporting [provides] measurable data that you can act on.' Internal reporting would make it possible to document violent incidents in the electronic health record, triggering a risk flag that would alert nurses to a higher risk for violence the next time the patient seeks care. Curbing Workplace Violence Unfortunately, many hospitals fall short when it comes to addressing workplace violence. A recent healthcare workplace report found that 43% of nurses said hospitals ignored their complaint of workplace violence and 12% said that administrators sided with the perpetrators. Moreover, 74% of healthcare organizations fall below the benchmark for a safe work environment and have 'notable gaps' in workplace safety and preparedness, putting nurses at risk. 'We get annual inspections by local departments of health and the fire marshal, but we don't have…comprehensive safety assessments,' said Nora Warshawsky, PhD, RN, nurse scientist at Press Ganey in Chicago. 'We talk about zero harm for our patients…but we also need to have a zero-harm culture for our staff.' Implementing violence prevention programs, investing in de-escalation training, and enhancing security measures can help create safer work environments, she added. Warshawsky also believes that technologies like wearable panic buttons, video monitoring, and weapons screening could help nurses feel more secure and lead to faster incident response. Legislation could help address the issue. The bipartisan Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act was reintroduced in both the Senate and House in April 2025, and it would require healthcare organizations to implement comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans. It will also establish a set of minimum standards that all healthcare organizations must follow, ensuring there is continuity in violence prevention even when there is staff or leadership turnover. A previous version of the bill introduced in 2023 did not pass. Gillespie is hopeful that the reintroduced legislation will pass, but regardless of the outcome, he encourages nurses to report workplace violence. 'Violence is not in your job description; violence is not 'other duties as assigned,'' he said. 'Violence is a problem of a troubled community and a healthcare system that needs to evolve, and one of the first steps to doing that is to report 100% of those problem behaviors because that puts the healthcare system on notice that they must act.'
News.com.au
13-07-2025
- News.com.au
Macca's worker's unhinged rant day before stabbing boss
Just days before a McDonald's employee allegedly stabbed her manager to death, she posted an unhinged rant on Instagram about her 'bully' boss. Afeni Muhammad, 26, has been charged with murder after she allegedly stabbed her manager, Jennifer Harris, 39, at least 15 times at a McDonald's in Detroit, Michigan, on Thursday. Two days earlier, she took to social media to vent her anger over being sent home for her performance two days in a row. 'I got sent home early yesterday. I got sent home early today by the same person,' Muhammad said in the Instagram reel, posting from her account @officialrisenphoenix. 'I'm telling you, she's a bully. This sh** isn't funny … She needs to understand that just because she's a mother and got children, that doesn't mean she can come in the store disrespecting people, talking like everybody is beneath her. She has no respect and it isn't funny at all.' Muhammad's alleged victim was a single mother of six who had been working at McDonald's for 15 years. 'Like, seriously, man, I got sh** I need to take care of and she keeps sending me home early … she's playing games,' Muhammad continued her foul-mouthed rant. She then claimed her boss played 'racial sh**', spread negative energy and gossiped about people, before saying, 'That sh**s gonna have to stop'. 'Then she tell me I am snapping on people. No, no, no, that's false, I don't snap on people. I don't go doing that. No, I make peace. I've been creating peace,' she added. After Ms Harris apparently sent Muhammad home again a second time, police say she told her boss, 'I'll be back,' before she went to her car and retrieved a kitchen knife. When she re-entered the fast-food restaurant, witnesses say she was wearing a mask. A drive-through customer witnessed the attack and fired a shot into the air to try to stop it, police reported. Muhammad reportedly tried to escape but was stopped by the customer before her arrest by police. The alleged murderer appeared in court on Friday and is held on a $25 million ($A38 million) bail. She is charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon with intent. The McDonald's franchise owner stated: 'We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the victim's family and loved ones. 'Violence of any kind is unacceptable in my restaurants, and we are taking this matter extremely serious, as the safety and wellbeing of our employees and customers is our top priority. We are fully co-operating with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation, and the restaurant will remain closed until further notice.' Muhammad's lawyer said that she is a high school graduate currently taking online physical therapy classes. She is also an aspiring rapper.
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Daily Mail
McDonald's worker's blood-curdling Instagram post shortly before 'MURDERING' her manager
A McDonald's employee posted an unhinged Instagram rant accusing her manager of bullying her a day before she stabbed her to death. Afeni Muhammad, 26, stabbed her manager Jennifer 'Jamma' Harris at least 15 times at the Detroit area McDonald's on Thursday after she was sent home over her performance. Just a day before, Muhammad had taken to social media to express her rage at being sent home early two days in a row. 'I got sent home early yesterday. I got sent home early today by the same person,' Muhammad said in the Instagram reel. 'I'm telling you, she's a bully. This sh** isn't funny... She needs to understand that just because she's a mother and got children, that doesn't mean she can come in the store disrespecting people, talking like everybody is beneath her. She has no respect and it isn't funny at all.' Muhammad's alleged victim, who had worked at the McDonald's for 15 years, was a single mother of six. 'Like, seriously, man, I got sh** I need to take care of and she keep sending me home early... she's playing games,' Muhammad continued. Muhammad accused her boss of 'playing racial sh**, spreading negative energy and gossiping about people,' before adding, 'That sh**'s gonna have to stop.' She added of her boss: 'Then she tell me I am snapping on people, No, no, no that's false, I don't snap on people. I don't go doing that. No, I make peace. I've been creating peace.' Harris apparently sent Muhammad home again after an argument on Thursday. Police say Muhammad told Harris 'I'll be back,' before she went to her car and retrieved a kitchen knife. When she came back into the restaurant, she was wearing a mask, according to witnesses. A drive-thru customer saw the attack and fired a shot in the air to try to stop it, police said. Muhammad reportedly tried fleeing but was detained by the customer before she was arrested by the Eastpointe Police Department. The alleged killer was arraigned Friday and is being held on a $25 million bond. She is charged with first-degree murder and carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent. Muhammad's lawyer said she is a high school graduate who is taking online classes for physical therapy. 'There are disturbing facts in this matter, but other facts have not been brought out yet,' the attorney told the court, as reported by The Detroit News. The McDonald's franchise owner said in a statement: 'We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the victim's family and loved ones. 'Violence of any kind is unacceptable in my restaurants, and we are taking this matter extremely serious, as the safety and well-being of our employees and customers is our top priority. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation, and the restaurant will remain closed until further notice.' Muhammad is an aspiring rapper and uses the name 'Risen Phoenix' online. Prosecutors said Monday she was previously convicted of stabbing someone in another state. 'The victim leaves behind six children, six young lives that will now grow up without a parent. This isn't just a statistic; this is a family shattered, a future forever altered,' said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido.
