Private company from Washington, D.C. alerted El Paso businesses of active shooter

A private company that tracks threats using computers alerted several El Paso businesses about an active-shooter situation in East El Paso last Wednesday.

El Paso police officers shot and killed 76-year-old Richard Palafox, after he showed up to the Pebble Hills Regional Command Center with a handgun.

Officers closed off the intersection of Pebble Hills and Lee Trevino during the incident. It’s an area that is home to several businesses.

Tactical Institute out of Washington, D.C. was able to identify that there was an active shooter situation, and started calling surrounding businesses to alert them.

“We were alerted by a tweet. One single tweet that came out of the area where the active shooting was occurring in real time,” Tactical Institute President Bob Dowling said.

Dowling said the tweet was from a parent whose child was at a daycare nearby. The tweet said there was an active shooter.

“We looked at the number of businesses that were in proximity and I made the decision to personally call the companies that are in proximity to the police department,” Dowling said.

One of those companies was Lee Trevino Smoke Shop. Manager Francisco Andrade answered Dowling’s call, and locked up the shop.

“I’m thankful,” Andrade said. “I don’t know what I would have done. I thought we were just seeing some drug bust, but it turns out it was an active shooter.”

Dowling said he started his company in 2015. He’s a former special agent attached to the FBI for the National Joint Terrorism Task Force and the National Counterterrorism Center.

He said his company monitors social media for threats, and then alerts local authorities, and businesses nearby. His team is composed of combat veterans, many of whom are wounded.

“I think I’m hard-wired to provide public safety and security. I’ve been doing it my whole life,” Dowling said.