07/07/2016
DEVELOP YOUR ACTIVE SHOOTER RESPONSE
U.S. government agencies define an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area, typically through the use of firearms.”
Although the term “confined” is used in this definition, mass shootings do take place in open areas outside of buildings. Another aspect to consider is that mass murder events do not require guns to be effective. Attacks have taken place in other countries by using vehicles, hammers, or knives as primary weapons to inflict mass casualties in crowded areas.
In 2014, the FBI conducted a study of active shooter incidents in the United States and identified a total of 160 events that occurred between 2000 and 2013. An incredible amount of statistics was extracted from this research.
In 158 of the 160 incidents, the shooter acted alone. The two primary locations chosen for their assaults were areas of commerce and educational environments, respectively capturing 45% and 24% of the sum. 70% of the incidents ended in five minutes or less with half of those ending in less than two minutes. More concerning is that 60% of the events ended before police ever arrived leaving the victims to save themselves. Finally, total casualties amounted to 486 killed and 557 wounded.
Incidents overall averaged 11.4 annually, which is almost one for every month of the year. More notably, those incidents averaged 6.4 per year from 2000-2006, and scaled upward sharply to an average of 16.4 occurrences each year from 2007-2013. That is a frightening trend and a major factor in why you should develop an active shooter response strategy.
Researchers have identified the “Columbine effect” in which perpetrators of mass violence mimic previous large-scale events. The term is taken from the tragedy at Columbine High School in 1999. Evidence suggests there is a copycat mentality whereby mass shooters strive to carry out attacks and cause greater damage than those who came before them. It has been documented that many aspiring mass murderers have made the pilgrimage to Columbine High School to get physically in touch with their aspirations. They not only seek inspiration, but also operational facts and ideas to assist in their planning. Motivations for active shooter mimicry include heralding previous perpetrators as heroes and wanting to carry on the mission, celebrating an event by launching an attack on an anniversary date, yearning to accomplish a higher score of more casualties, or gaining media attention and notoriety.
Active shooter incidents share a series of commonalities. Each event is unpredictable and evolves rapidly, the victims are selected at random, and the locations are typically soft targets. These are locations with lots of people yet without substantial barriers and protection. Places like shopping malls, school campuses, amusement parks, churches, hospitals, and movie theatres are popular targets because they’re easily accessible.
Always conduct your own threat assessment when arriving to a location, no matter how familiar it is to you. Your evaluation begins from the moment you park your car, or when you near your destination on foot. Pay attention to others around you, memorize the entry and exit
points, and make note of the layout and interior spaces such as fitting rooms, restrooms, closets, or offices. All this should be done in real time wherever you go.
Chances are that without a plan or previous training, people will most likely freeze or cower during an attack, which only increases their risk of death. Even for the vigorously trained, they may only perform at half their capacity. The combination of chaos, stress, and adrenaline hinders mental clarity while confusion abounds. Thinking through a response ahead of time can reduce these effects, help you stay calm, and allow your mental processes to operate at full capacity.
Many people don’t react quickly to an extreme emergency because their brains are not wired for exigent circumstances. For instance, shooting guns in public places is not a normal occurrence, particularly inside a school or office, so people are more likely to associate a loud bang with something normal instead of actual gunfire. The sound of a gunshot is similar to a firework or a heavy object hitting the ground. If the brain processes the loud noise as something ordinary, the result will most likely be people staying put and not moving immediately to safety. Even when their brains compute that shots are being fired, their natural tendency will be to wait for others to react. If everyone is staying in place, valuable time is wasting and the casualty count will likely go up. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in groupthink. If your peers or the crowd freeze in place or make a decision that goes against your better judgment, act upon your own instinct or experience and leave them behind.
Since mass shootings are spontaneous dynamic situations, there are an infinite amount of scenarios to consider when planning and training for a response. Your actions will ultimately fall under one of three options when the situation arises - escape, hide, or attack. However, your preference may not be the one you are able to choose in the moment. The situation and circumstances will always dictate that for you.
Your number one objective in any active shooter event is to get out of the line of fire. Therefore, your top priority should be to escape and evade. Exit the scene immediately. Flee the building if possible and get outdoors and far away. If you’re outside, vacate the area and get as much distance as possible from the scene.
Keep in mind, there is always another way out than the way you came in. There are at least two ways to exit a public building, be it a restaurant, movie theatre, grocery store, or retail shop. Most businesses have a door in the rear for taking out the trash, loading in supplies, and accepting deliveries. While these exits are not clearly marked and made available to the general public, utilize them as an escape option during an emergency.
If an attack takes place in your office, have an escape plan already in mind. Leave your belongings as they will only slow you down. If you can’t get to your phone, don’t attempt to retrieve it. The clock is ticking and there will be other opportunities to call 911. Assist others to escape along your route if possible and prevent others from going in the direction of the shooter. Remember, it will be chaotic and people will be confused. Try to isolate the shooter’s mobility throughout the complex by locking down access doorways and blocking off corridors. However your escape unfolds, do not pull the fire alarm. This will only cause confusion and draw people out to the shooter who believe the building may be on fire. Furthermore, the noise will diminish the ability to listen for the shooter’s location and actions including those of other victims.
Assisting the wounded should be secondary to your survival, unless you’re already trapped in a place with injured people. If the shooter is nearby or in your sight, chances are you’re still a viable target and stopping to assist the injured or picking somebody up to run further can put you at deeper risk of injury or death.
However, do give consideration to those uninjured individuals with disabilities or impairments. Keep in mind, during mass shootings, injuries can occur accidently by falling down, running into objects, and getting hit by debris or shattered glass.
If you can’t escape or are physically incapable of vacating the building, your next option will be to barricade yourself in a hiding place. Your goal is to find cover, not concealment. The difference between the two is protection. Concealment will only hide you. It will not stop a bullet from penetrating. An example of concealing yourself would be standing behind a curtain. You may not be seen, but a stray bullet can still pierce you. Proper cover can actually stop bullets from hitting you. Items such as vending machines and filing cabinets have good capabilities of stopping a bullet from penetrating. If you’re in an open area, trees and vehicles can provide adequate cover.
Take into account that bullets ricochet. They will skip at an angle off any hard surface such as walls, desks, cabinets, benches, and the ground itself. When moving to a safe location, try not to lean closely against walls or other solid objects. Giving yourself space from these items as you advance to your location will open up pathways to a stray bullet.
If you are unable to find a location to completely hide yourself, do your best to become a smaller target. When lying down, get covered by as much as you can. Your upper body cavity houses all your vital organs and should be protected the most. You can survive shots to the arms and legs. Fortunately, most active shooters are not expert marksmen, so by becoming a more difficult target, you stand a greater chance of survival.
Once you’ve committed to a hiding location, lock it down and build a barrier. If the door doesn’t lock, find a way to secure it or construct a massive barricade. Utilize any furniture or equipment at your disposal and stack it against the door for further protection. It should be impossible for the shooter to enter your location. Records of past shootings reveal that attackers will not take the time to break into a sealed area and will almost certainly move on to easier targets.
However, that doesn’t preclude them from shooting through the door or walls, especially if they think they can hit someone. Most walls are hollow sheet rock and technically only conceal you. The same can be said for the doors. High caliber rifle rounds can pe*****te these materials. Turn over furniture and crouch behind sturdy items within your location to deepen your defense against indiscriminate bullets. If your room has an interior closet or bathroom, hide inside there.
Now is the time to be invisible. Turning off the lights will eliminate reflections and shadows. Be as quiet as possible. Silence your cell phone and don’t let it vibrate. If an office phone rings, don’t answer it. Though that may seem contrary to getting help, a nearby attacker may notice the ringing was cut short or hear the sound of the handset being picked up, and possibly even your voice and that of the caller. However, if you determine it’s safe enough to contact the authorities, do so. Alternatively, you can use the phone as in intercom by leaving the line engaged with the dispatcher so they can hear what is going on.
Keep the door closed until it’s absolutely necessary to open it. The shooter can draw people out from hiding by pretending to be a helpless victim, impersonating law enforcement, or by pulling the fire alarm. Should you encounter either of these instances, listen closely to determine their legitimacy. If the shooter is a male and you hear a female voice, it may be safe to check the door. Law enforcement should make professional announcements that allow you to verify their authenticity. If the fire alarm is sounding off, smell for smoke and feel the walls and door for heat. When you decide it is completely safe to open the door, shrink your target profile by staying low.
Even after all your efforts to safely hide, you may still have to defend yourself against the shooter. Understand that you have the ability to take control through a variety of tactics. Not having a gun does not mean you’re unarmed. Improvised weapons exist all around you whether it’s in a break room, office, storage closet, classroom, or kitchen area.
A simple pen or pencil can be used to pe*****te the neck or eyeball of your assailant. A letter opener can do the exact same. Consider silverware for slicing and stabbing. Glasses, mugs, and dishware can be smashed over the shooter’s head, or broken into shards for cutting and gouging.
Chairs can be swung over your attacker. Books can knock him down or out with a broad swipe. Tightly roll up a magazine and you have a makeshift baton. A pot of hot coffee can scald him after smashing his face.
Articles of clothing can be stuffed with heavier solid items to make an impact weapon. Take a sock or a shirt and fill it with a paperweight, mug, stapler, desk clock, tin can of food, even rocks from an aquarium or potted plant. With the object twisted up in your clothing it simulates a ball and chain that can deeply wound or knock out the attacker with a single blow.
A fire extinguisher makes an excellent weapon. You can spray the assailant with the chemical from a distance, temporarily blinding him and sending him into a coughing fit. You can then smash him with the canister when it’s empty.
Any type of broom or mop handle can be used as a striking device. Swing it over the head of the assailant, across his neckline, or use it to knock his weapon down. Wood handles can be broken towards the end to create a sharp tip for stabbing.
You can find a flashlight in a desk, tool kit, or supply room and use it as striking weapon. A high beam LED can blind the attacker momentarily. It also makes a great signaling device for law enforcement if you’re locked down in an area with a window.
Throwing items at the shooter can cause damage, and at a minimum, create a distraction to set up an escape or an additional attack. Any disorientation you create will disrupt the shooter from his objective. That is the moment to run or take him down.
If you conceal carry your personal firearm, you should exercise special training specific to an active shooter. It’s an intense engagement that is unpredictable and filled with adrenaline. For this reason, constant stress testing is extremely important.
Practice hitting your target under duress and from uncomfortable positions. Run sprints or do push-ups until failure, then shoot at your target for accuracy. This will stimulate the perceived stress level. Get familiar with shooting from crawling, lying down, curled up, and on your back and sides. Shoot at night or
in low light. Replicate a crowded environment by placing objects around the target because you may never get a clear shot. There will be bodies, overturned furniture, and debris of all types in your way.
These training techniques more accurately reflect the type of conditions you may be faced with. Your engagement will be very different from standing down range in line with a paper target. You default to your level of training at best so the more difficult your training, the more prepared you’ll be when combating an active shooter. Consider assisting others to escape and clear the area before you engage your assailant. Make sure victims are out of your sight picture and don’t fire into a hostage condition. You never want risk taking an innocent life.
No matter what method of attack you choose, none of these weapons will make much of an impact if your mind is not up to the task. You must remain committed in your aggression and attack until the shooter is disarmed and restrained. If the shooter doesn’t have a gun, no more shots can be fired.
This is especially true for a group of people with nowhere else to run. Everyone must accept the fact that injury and death are imminent when nothing is done to the attacker. Someone has to take the lead and everyone else must pledge to follow. Be that leader. If you’re trapped with able-bodied individuals, coordinate a simultaneous attack against the shooter. Power by numbers is an incredibly genuine force.
Swarm the shooter by surprise. Be quick. Be violent. Shock and awe. Strike the shooter from different angles to create more openings for your assault. He can only shoot in a single direction leaving you and your team with plenty of targets around his body. Somebody may get shot in the process, perhaps multiple people. Commit to using brute force and remain courageous throughout. The more devastating you are, the better the chances of ending the entire event and saving lives. Do not give up until you’re dead or the shooter stops moving.
Get control of the weapon as soon as possible. If you’re unable to pull it out of the shooter’s hands, redirect it so it’s pointed away from everyone else. Continue the attack until the weapon is secured. Search your assailant for more weapons and strip him of any items that he could use to resume his assault. Once he and his weapons have been completely secured, contact the authorities and update them on the current status.
Of all the topics that have just been covered, one area that requires special attention is law enforcement. When you determine it’s safe enough to call 911, be prepared to give dispatch as much detailed information as possible. Be specific in your descriptions of the assailant, your location, and the events that have unfolded. Talk about the type of weapons you saw or heard, what the shooter is wearing and his physical features, where you’re hiding in relation to the shooter, and the injuries sustained by you or anyone else. Be very calm when relaying information so it can be expedited to responding officers.
If you’re hiding somewhere and the shooting stops, it does not necessarily mean the shooter has ceased his assault or fled the building. In fact, a second wave of violence will commence as soon as law enforcement arrives to a living perpetrator. A tactical team will launch a counter strike employing tools such as tear gas, flash grenades, and high-powered rifles. It will be very loud and confusing to the point of overwhelm. Mentally prepare yourself for the second wave as it could cause another sensory overload for victims in hiding or still attempting escape.
Officers will not begin treating victims until the threat has been neutralized. Inured persons must stay in place until that time. When officers or a tactical team arrives at your location, expect to be treated like a suspect until you’re determined to be a victim. Stay calm and comply 100% with all instructions that are given. Put down any items that you’re holding such as your cell phone or improvised weapons. Show your hands, raise them high, and spread the fingers out. Don’t argue or scream, and don’t make sudden movements towards the officers such as pointing or grabbing to hold onto them. Remember this golden phrase – “open hands, follow commands”.
Once officers have secured a safe passage for evacuation, you must remain in your area until instructed to move and that could be a while, so continue to exercise patience. Follow every single direction and instruction you are given. You will not be permitted back into the building after evacuation, so take any personal items you are permitted to. If you are commanded to empty your hands and leave everything behind, then comply.
How you respond to an active shooter will be dictated by the circumstances surrounding you at the setting. You will react differently when you are alone than when you’re with family or friends. Your preferred tactics will change between indoors and outdoors. Your motivations to escape, hide, or attack may evolve from moment to moment. Whatever your response may be, it MUST be swift.
It is important to note the threat will never officially halt until the shooter has been immobilized. Locking doors and hiding, throwing items to distract or deflect, and running away do not immobilize the attacker. They may save your life and those around you, but the attacker will continue on until he is physically unable to.
If you find yourself cornered by an active shooter, reasoning or begging with him will most likely still get you killed. You stand a greater chance of survival by fighting back. When it comes to life or death, a mass murderer is not rational. You must respond with what you have in that instant, maybe just your hands.
The time to figure all of this out is now, not in the moment. If you own your own company or manage an employee population, devise a plan, conduct training sessions, and rehearse procedures quarterly. Make sure all new employees receive training upon hiring. At a minimum, make sure everyone knows the floor plans and where to find the stairwells and exit points.
Visualization is a key component in preparation. Because rehearsal is limited in its availability and participation, envisioning an active shooter event from beginning to end with detailed imagery is an exercise you can conduct repeatedly on your own at any time. This is crucial because active shooter events happen incredibly fast at an unconscionable pace rendering a subconscious survival process.
Given the FBI statistic that a majority of incidents terminate before law enforcement arrives, you will be left to your own strategy for survival and time is extremely limited.
