New York City office buildings are taking steps to increase security following the Midtown shooting in which four people were killed two weeks ago.
Armed guards and dogs are being employed against potential attackers, Gothamist reported Monday.
"A canine is a great visual deterrent. It can provide that visual deterrent that can buy you some time and make that suspect think two or three times before they decide to do the act," said Allied Universal's Glen Kucera, whose security firm offers armed guards and canine units.
"Even if a suspect may not have an issue dealing with the handler, they may not want to deal with a German shepherd or a Belgian malinois. It may cause them to hesitate, right?"
Some executives told the outlet that they've focused on better elevator security.
"One of the big things now is elevators should all have key cards. Nobody should be able to get on an elevator without one," Knight Security founder Edward Troiano told Gothamist.
He added that some companies also are assessing whether turnstiles should be made stronger and taller.
A former high school football player who blamed the game for his mental health problems carried out a deadly attack July 28 on an office building that's home to the NFL.
Shane Tamura killed four people before killing himself, spraying the skyscraper's lobby with bullets and continuing his rampage on the 33rd floor, authorities said.
That shooting came seven months after Luigi Mangione allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the city. The killing and ensuing five-day search leading to Mangione's arrest rattled the business community.
Brian Higgins, a former police chief who founded a Mahwah, New Jersey, security company, previously told The Associated Press that he got peppered with an influx of calls after the Park Avenue shooting.
"What should we be doing different? How can we prevent something like this?" Higgins said clients were asking.
Higgins added that some companies immediately looked to bulk up security with the latest technology, plus blanket their workplace with cameras.
One security executive, though, told Gothamist that's it difficult to stop someone who's armed and determined to kill.
"If somebody is hell-bent on doing this it's very, very hard because usually it ends up in a suicide mission," Citadel Security's Ty Yorio said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.