Repost: What to do if there is an active shooter, because after today we all need to be prepared:
There’s no such thing as “Do not enter” or “employees only.” If you’re a man “Ladies Room” signs are invisible to you, as “Men’s Room” signs should be invisible to women.
Break windows, kick in doors, do anything. There are no rules.
The moment you walk into any public space you should look around, familiarize yourself with all the exists. In this day & age though, “exits” should include all doors PLUS windows, back rooms, basements, kitchens (etc).
At the first sign of violence, at the first glimpse of a weapon, run. Get out of there. Leave. Don’t gather up personal items and don’t pay your bill. DO tell people to come with you, but don’t wait around for them and don’t waist time explaining things. Seconds matter, and in the end you’re a lot more useful to the people inside there getting to a safe place and calling 911, in order to get some help there quickly.
Smash a window if you have to. Open a fire door. Cut through the kitchen/back room/etc. A sturdy lock might stop you, but no sign ever should.
Get a “Safe Distance” away and then call 911.
With trees, bushes, houses/building, hills (etc), somewhere around 300 yards (meters) is about the maximum distance that anyone can hope to shoot you. Try to make it about 400 yards before stopping & calling authorities.
If you can’t run then hide. Most shootings are over pretty quickly, so even diving behind a bar could be enough to save you. And, again, THERE ARE NO RULES! Go into any office, behind any door or up/down any stairs you see to get away.
Caught in the open? Play dead. Not anyone’s ideal method of dealing with a mass shooting, but a number of people have survived attacks by playing dead, including at least one survivor of the Pulse shooting.
If you can’t run, you can’t hide & playing dead is out of the question, fight.
Or if you spot someone else fighting them, then fight them!
If a shooter is within striking distance of you, STRIKE! And it’s absolutely no time to be the least bit squeamish let alone worrying about “playing fair.”
Not close? Throw things! If even 10 people started throwing bottles & glasses at a shooter he’d probably end up ducking instead of firing…
Go for the eyeballs & throat – kick them in the crotch.
Hit them with anything heavy or has an edge or something that can pass for a point. If you have fingers and teeth then you have weapons.
Fingernails & biting is okay.
The eyes are great, because even a not-very-serious hit to one or both eyes can blind them at least temporarily AND they are vulnerable to your fingers.
ONCE YOU HIT THEM DON’T STOP HITTING THEM!
Don’t give them a chance to recover. Show no mercy. You’re protecting not only your own life, but the live of everyone else in the area. So if you hit them then keep on hitting them until you’re absolutely certain they are no longer capable of harm.
