Shootings Need Public Relations Too

Katie Masko

There is a mass shooting in the United States daily. Individuals and communications professionals may find themselves in the middle of one, needing to play a double role in responding to crises.

That situation became a reality when a shooter killed three people and injured two others in Greenwood, Indiana. The gunman was only stopped by a “Good Samaritan” with a concealed carry permit. 

At ICON, Mark Myers, Mayor of Greenwood and two employees from Hirons, a full-service advertising agency, gave insight on what kind of communication is needed after a shooting and how to handle it effectively.

The shooting occurred at Greenwood Park Mall on Sunday, July 17, 2022, at 5:56 p.m. Within one minute, the “Good Samaritan” shot the gunman, and local officials cleared the vicinity. 

The Hirons team was defining the shooting within the hour. Was it a mass shooting? It was. They removed all scheduled social media posts and updated media monitoring terms to track shooting mentions. Multiple command centers came to Greenwood’s side, responding with mutual aid and federal resources. 

The team began by releasing an initial statement that day and distributing an image for news outlets to run on broadcast and digital. They posted a similar update statement at 9:30 p.m. that night. The following morning, Hirons sent a media alert for an afternoon press conference with the mayor, the city’s police chief and the county coroner. 

While the Hirons team did a great job at helping the city respond to the shooting, there can be necessary but unforeseen needs for the community when writing a crisis plan. The police chief of Greenwood asked how shoppers would get their belongings back, which hadn’t been considered initially.

“This happened in the mall; people were all sitting there eating,” said Mayor Myers.“They didn't think to grab their purses or packages or anything.”

This was striking. Within a crisis such as a shooting, many may not think to grab their bags when their life is on the line. The communications teams and crisis management teams needed to quickly set up a way for people to retrieve their belongings and make theft reports if needed.

“It really made me think about every aspect of a crisis from a communications perspective,” said ICON attendee and public relations student Macy Rosen. “I would have never thought to set up an item return pickup location.”

Shootings are extremely traumatic occurrences, and this case study shows just how critical it is to consider everything. Communications professionals play a fundamental role in keeping the public informed, every detail is vital to ensuring people are equipped with the information they need. Especially when that information can help save lives.