The typical active shooter is a lone gunman with a mental disorder, who desires to injure as many innocent people as he possibly can. Almost all active shooters act alone, will commit suicide once the police arrive, will not take any hostages, will use an assault rifle, wear body armor, and operate in rapid and erratic manner.
The key to surviving an active shooter is to always be aware of your surroundings. Who is standing next to you? Who just walked in the store? Why is that stranger opening the back door? What’s in his hands? Look for people who look out of place, and always watch people’s hands. The hands are wear the danger comes from.
No matter where you go, you should always know where the exits are. Understand where the entrances are, and plan out your potential escape routes. If you attend the theater, a sporting engagement, the opera, or a university lecture hall, always sit in a location that allows for a speedy exit in case of an emergency. Your seats should give a clear line of sight to all that is going on around you. Sitting with your back against the wall is preferred. Never sit with your back to the main entrance. Many individuals will back into parking spaces (known as combat parking) so they can drive away quickly if things go bad.
Try to remember that action is always faster than reaction. If you are surprised by an active shooter, then you start the engagement at a severe disadvantage. This guy wants to dictate the location and the time of the fight.
When an active shooter appears, this is not the time to hunker down and wait for the police. Those days are behind us. This is not the time to crouch down under a table, close your eyes, and wait for the police to show up. You need to be thinking that you, and only you, are responsible for your own safety. This is a time for action. This is time to escape and sprint to the nearest safety.
Every professional shooter realizes that it is much more difficult to strike a moving target than a stationary one. Run from the threat! Muster up your family and decisively communicate your escape plan to them. Refuse to become a target by sitting still and failing to leave the area of danger.
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