Mass murder has, sickeningly, become a trend crime. When such an incident takes place, the perpetrator’s name and face are on TV and in newspapers for days. The sick little bastards who carried out the Columbine slaughter in 1999 wound up on the covers of Time and Newsweek. Remember the old song that went, “Wanna see my smiling face on the cover of the Rolling Stone”? Rolling Stone put Tsarnev, the Boston Marathon bomber, on its cover.
As a result, every thwarted late-filled loser began to fantasize about doing the same thing. Look how many of their sick manifestos and last Facebook comments are something like “The world will remember my name.” And “gun control” won’t do a damn thing to stop it.
What will? An armed first responder, by which I mean someone right there where the deadly danger breaks out who is prepared and equipped to stop it.
One of the most important books of 2025 in my opinion is “First 30 Seconds” by Ed Monk, whose military and police experience and intensive research have made him probably the leading authority on how to shortstop mass murders. The enemy is not just the murderer, it’s also the unforgiving clock. Monk’s title comes from his proven theory that to reduce the death toll, the killer must be stopped within 30 seconds of firing his first shot.
That requires someone there who can stop it. SROs, School Resource Officers. School faculty members trained and armed with concealed handguns. Even an armed citizen in the right place at the right time.
We all remember the horror of the Uvalde atrocity. What few remember is that within hours of that terrible mass murder, another psycho opened fire on a crowd with an AR15 in an Eastern state…but before any of his bullets could touch one of his intended victims, a woman with a concealed carry permit drew her gun and shot him dead.
You can order “First 30 Seconds” here.
It may be the most important book of 2025, and will most certainly be so for the as yet unknown intended victims who will be saved by someone who read it and acted upon it responsibly.
Excellent book. To not have an armed defender present is to accept double digit casualty counts. SROs are not really going to fix the problem, not through any fault of their own but simply because there are not enough of them and never can be. There was an SRO at Columbine and the perps simply waited until he was out of position. For that matter, there were two at Beslan and they were dead in the first thirty seconds. Police are too visible and what is needed is at least a suspicion that there are armed, and concealed defenders everywhere. This will be a deterrent and if worse comes to worse, a way to hold the fort until the cavalry comes. The role of armed staff is very different than that of police. Their mission should be to fort up in classrooms to protect children and cover the barricades with fire. Those that aren’t in classrooms should be tasked to hold choke points and keep the perp from moving around. This requires both a plan, practice, and coordination with LE so as to avoid friendly fire. There will inevitably be a number of COs. Making Monk’s book required reading might help.
Mass shooter or spree shooter, please.
One of the most awesome books you may ever read. Most people don’t understand that the Police can’t be everywhere at once and the clock starts ticking as soon as the first shot is fired. What happens in those crucial few minutes before the police arrive?
Again, READ THIS BOOK! It’ll definitely give you something to think about snd act on.
Massad,
Long ago you told us that Israel stopped its school shooting problem in 1974. Apparently, decision-making Americans in authority are not interested in protecting school children.
They did but as we saw on 10/7 they then went for gun control. They are now reversing after that wake up call. The music festival was probably unstoppable but the attacks on the neighborhoods were stopable if they had been armed. The one that had weapons did indeed repel the attack.
Correct. Israelis need to practice civil disobedience when their government orders them to practice gun control. No more carrying pistols with empty chambers, either. If an old pistol is unsafe with a round carried in the chamber, then throw it out and buy a new pistol.
Mas,
You have not recommended a book that I have not thoroughly enjoyed. This one is now added to my winter reading list.
Outstanding book. Unfortunately logic, reason and critical thinking aren’t required traits in selection of persons to fill decision making positions. Matter of fact, they apparently aren’t even taught, let alone required, in most schools anymore. Might bruise someone’s feelings.
There still are some good people in school administration, but they’re fighting an uphill battle.
You have correctly identified “first responders”. The country’s mindset has been conditioned to think first responders are the police and other emergency services but the truth is the first responders are the one who are there when murder starts. The police are actually second responders. There are untold numbers of victims due to this misuse of the term. When a fire starts in your house you are the first responders with a portable fire extinguisher. Same as a mass shooting you respond with your firearm before the 911 call can be made. I hope everyone reads Ed’s book.
I have taken Ed’s class a couple of times. As one of the ‘old farts’ who has been exposed to a wide variety of training over a period of more than 30 years, I will strongly recommend his class. If you get a chance to take it you’ll probably find it an eye opener regardless of your level of training.
Makes me think about the difference between having enough patience and waiting too long to act. Each historic situation is bound to have both similarities and differences to others that can be studied and absorbed. I would say that many times waiting, for example, thirty seconds before intervening in an attack, will not be necessary or even desirable. I do not relish witnessing innocent victims being hurt or killed, or myself being one of the first to get hit. I would say that the more life experience and training that you have, the less time that you will waste in engaging a perpetrator. Weigh circumstances, keep your head on a swivel, and don’t rule out praying in the moment. Ever.
I first met Ed in the last century when he was an Army officer stationed in the DC area. He spent his free time speaking about 2nd Amendment rights. What impressed me about his presentation was not just how polished it was but the logic behind it that made it so convincing.
Ed used his military training to analyze the problem of active shooters. His plan of action, based on that training, is once again logical. I had the opportunity to listen to his first rate presentations at the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association conferences in 2024 and 2025. He received rave reviews for them.
I therefore had high expectations for this book. He exceeded them.
As Ed shows using data on active shooter incidents the murder of innocents will continue until someone does something to stop them. If you are a reader of this blog you likely have the ability to be that someone. Read this book and train.