How to Survive an Active Shooter

According to FBI report, Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2022, there were 50 active shooter incidents that occurred in 2022, resulting in 313 casualties (100 killed and 213 wounded). An active shooter is defined as one or more individuals engaged in the killing or attempted killing of people in a populated area with the use of a firearm. The term active implies that the situation is ongoing and will most likely require an external response to affect the outcome.

?In 48% of the incidents, the shooter had ties to either the location or at least one of the victims, in 52% of the incidents, no known connection was identified. This statistic emphasizes the importance for every school, house of worship, place of business, hospital, and individual to prepare and plan for an active shooter situation. In 16% of active shooter incidents, citizen intervention and/or confrontation ended the incident. This was accomplished by armed bystanders engaging the shooter, or the subduing of a shooter until law enforcement arrived.

If you find yourself in an active shooter situation it’s important to act quickly, seconds matter. You must decide to run, hide, or fight. Never freeze, listen to your instincts.

Run: It’s important to always be aware of your surroundings. Always note possible emergency exits and escape routes. At the first sign of an active shooter, quickly move to the nearest possible exit that does not put you in the line of fire. Leave your belongings behind. Attempt to facilitate the exit of others, especially children and people with disabilities. If someone is unable (wounded), or unwilling (frozen) to follow you, you must put your safety first and exit the building as fast as possible. When exiting the building ensure your hands are raised and be prepared to encounter law enforcement officers, give law enforcement officers any information you have on the shooter or nature of the incident and follow their directions. If law enforcement is not present at the scene, continue moving until you are sure you are in a safe location and call 911.

Hide: If you are unable to move to an exit without putting yourself in the line of fire or you’re unsure of the shooters’ location and do not feel you can safely move out of the building, hiding might be your best chance for survival. Utilizing cover, anything that can stop a bullet, and/or concealment, anything that could hide you from the shooters’ line of sight, move to a hiding place. On your way, encourage others to join you but do no waste time if they are unable or unwilling. Preferably, you want to choose a location that can be sealed off from the present environment. This could be a closet, office, or classroom. Once you reach your hiding spot, barricade the door with the heaviest and most solid items that are at your disposal. If there are windows or other means for the shooter to see inside the room, block those as well to prevent the shooter from being able to see you. Once you are barricaded inside the room, find something you can use as a weapon in case the shooter is able to gain entry. Analyze what you have on your person as well as the contents in the room, choose something sharp like a knife or boxcutter, or hard such as a lamp or paperweight. Stay low to the ground, behind cover, and away from windows.

Fight: If you are unable to reach an exit or a hiding spot, your last chance for survival is to fight. If time permits, coordinate with other people, a coordinated counterattack greatly increases your chances of survival. When coordinating your counterattack assign specific tasks for each individual. This should include the controlling of the shooters’ weapon, the striking of the head or face, and the demobilization of the shooter. Use anything at your disposal as a weapon. Do not fight fair, use any means necessary to subdue the shooter, your life depends on it.

Remember, run, hide, or fight, never freeze. Listen to your instincts and do whatever is necessary to survive.

For more information on active shooter incidents in 2022, visit https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/active-shooter-incidents-in-the-us-2022-042623.pdf/view

Source:

Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2022, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S Department of Justice, Washington D.C., and the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University, Published 2023.