Deterring Workplace Violence with CPTED & Security Layering

A New York City office building that was the site of a mass shooting in July 2025, had significant security measures in place. Despite having a uniformed police officer, other security officers, a lengthy check-in process, locked turnstile gates, lobby alarms, elevators that allowed access to only certain floors, and as last resort reinforced safe rooms, a malevolent 27-year-old armed with an assault rifle forced his way into the building and killed four people before turning the gun on himself. The shooting in this fortified Midtown Manhattan building has raised questions about office building security and whether more can be done to strengthen it. This session will discuss the importance of conducting a security and vulnerability assessment to determine how much security is considered necessary, and the role of designing security into the architecture and interiors.