Active shooter incidents are on a rise. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there have been 250 active shooter incidents from 2000 to 2017, with 799 people killed and over 1,400 injured. Thirty active shooter situations were recorded in 2017, the worst in that span. Sadly, a total of 138 people died while a staggering 591 were wounded last year. A far cry from the 83 fatalities and 129 injured from the year prior.
Gun Violence Archive reports 188 mass shootings have already occurred this year. Hopefully, the numbers stop there but the truth is, there’s always a possibility that some lost soul will get their hands on a gun and claim more lives.
It’s difficult to predict when and where an active shooter situation will happen next. If it was that easy, no one would be mourning the death of a loved one from such cowardly act. What we can all do is to take the necessary steps to prevent them. It’s also important to prepare ourselves and our loved ones for such dreadful incident.
Run, Hide, Fight
According to law enforcement experts, there are three things you can do once you become aware of an active shooter within your vicinity.
Run
Your first move should be to run. Get as far away as possible. Run as fast as you can until you are safe. People who freeze in place out of fear and indecision almost always end up shot. If you encounter such people, encourage them to leave but don’t let them hold you back.
Whenever you enter a building, the first things you should take note of are the exit points. This bit of knowledge will prove useful in the event of an emergency such as fire, earthquake or terrorist attack.
Familiarize yourself with the different possible routes to safety, especially if you’re working in an office building. Once an active shooter situation strikes, you should be well aware of the routes you can take to avoid the perpetrator.
Don’t run blindly. Be wary of what’s happening around you. Stop and survey the surrounding quickly before proceeding. You don’t want to accidentally run into the shooter or held up in choke points like stairwells and lobbies.
If you can’t reach the doors, try the windows. Break a window by hitting the corner but be wary of the noise you’ll make. If you’re on the second floor, look for something that will break your fall before climbing or jumping out.
Keep a pair of running shoes at work. It’s difficult to run on dress shoes or high heels. Plus, they make loud sounds, which may attract the shooter.
Hide
If running away is not an option, you must hide. Barricade yourself in a room to buy you some time until you can make your escape or until authorities come.
Block the doors with anything heavy you can find. Desks, chairs and bookcases will usually work. You can also prop something under the door handles like they do in the movies.
Turn the lights off and keep quiet. Put your phone to silent. Find a hiding place at an angle where bullets can’t reach you if the shooter decides to shoot through the door. Curl up behind thick metal or wood. While hiding, devise a plan on how to get away or subdue the shooter.
Fight
If the first two options are not possible, all you can do is fight back. A stationary target is an easy target. Keep moving while making noise and throwing anything you can grab at the shooter. In other words, create chaos.
Another way to fight off an active shooter is to swarm them. At least one person grabs the arm holding the gun as the shooter enters the room. Another goes for the legs while others push him down. Even children can subdue the shooter if the group uses their combined weight to pin him down.
Once the shooter drops the weapon, keep it away from him. Hide it under something. Don’t pick it up as authorities will have an eye out for firearms and you don’t want to be mistaken for the shooter.
Experts don’t advice attacking the shooter but if that’s the only option left, you should use a weapon to target his eyes, throat, midsection and head. Keep hitting until you’re sure he’s down for the count.
Active Shooter Survival Kit
During an active shooter situation, medical help will not come until police authorities tell responders it’s safe to proceed. This is bad news if you’ve been shot and bleeding profusely.
A tourniquet will be vital if you’ve been shot. In fact, this may spell the difference between staying alive and becoming a statistic.
You should always carry an individual first aid kit with you but it can only do so much in an active shooter situation. The best way to deal with possible injuries in this scenario is to have a fully equipped first aid kit in your office or school. Train in first aid so you’ll know what to do.
Active Shooter Response Kit (ARK)
Ideally, you shouldn’t go where the action is. The key to surviving an active shooter situation is to run away, as mentioned above. But if you come across the shooter, you have no choice but to defend yourself.
Fight fire with fire. That’s what most of you may be thinking of in dealing with an active shooter. If you have a handgun (obtained legally, of course) and a conceal carry permit, then you’re good. But how about the children and other people who don’t have access to firearms for self-defense? It’s up to you then to defend them, as well.
Aside from a handgun, your active shooter response bag should come with extra magazines and other weapons such as a knife or Taser. Survival gear such as a window punch will also come in handy. A first aid kit is especially important.
Some people believe that the ultimate solution to mass shootings is to fix the law, particularly the gun control law. This issue may take some time before it gets resolved. In the meantime, the best you can do is to prepare for such a scenario so you won’t fall victim to an active shooter.
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