How to Defend Yourself in a Mass Shooting
While gun crimes have gone down in the United States in recent years, the number of mass shootings has actually increased.
As we were reminded by recent events in the news, it's now more important than ever to learn how to defend yourself in this kind of scenario.
As you've no doubt heard by now, 49 people were killed and 53 others were injured in a shooting in the early hours of Sunday morning in an Orlando nightclub.
Two days later, a gunman took a hostage in an Amarillo, Texas Walmart. (No one was killed or injured in this situation.)
In both instances, law enforcement arrived on the scene and the perpetrator was killed. Unfortunately for the 100+ victims of the Orlando shooting, it was too little too late.
In the days and weeks following events like this, we always hear the same questions and soundbites floating around in the media.
Was it terrorism?
Was it a hate crime?
Was it mental illness?
The truth is, the cause of the attack does not matter. In the end, the result is the same — innocent lives are lost. So instead of asking ourselves these questions, what we should really be asking is:
What can I do to protect myself?
As survivalists, we do our best to make sure we are prepared for whatever comes our way. Of course, life is unpredictable. What happened in Orlando could happen at any time and any place. It's impossible to predict, but it is very possible to prepare.
Here are a few things you can do to help keep yourself and others safe in the event of a mass shooting. Follow these tips, and you just might make it out alive.
1. Arm Yourself
Wardrobe tips for #preppers who #concealedcarry. https://t.co/z1S4bYpTX6 pic.twitter.com/NVe9phVPYE
— Survival Life (@SurvivalLF) June 15, 2016
Absolutely nothing is going to protect you against an armed gunman besides being armed yourself. This is your first line of defense. If you're trained to handle firearms and it's legal to carry them where you are, you should be carrying them at all times.
The question then becomes “concealed carry or open carry?” Both are legal in some places, and there are benefits and downsides to both. Click here for more information on concealed vs. open carry.
2. Know What to Do If You're Not Armed
If you don't have a weapon, that doesn't mean you are completely helpless in the case of a shooting. Here are a few things you should do in such a situation:
- Build a barricade around the door
- Set off fire alarms and sprinklers — anything to cause commotion and bring attention to the situation
- Tie a belt around the door hinge to keep it from being opened
- If a gunman breaks through the door, fight back
- Use anything you can get your hands on as a weapon (such as a fire extinguisher or scissors)
3. Invest in Body Armor
It may seem ridiculous to wear body armor everywhere you go in your day-to-day life.
Nevertheless, it might not be a bad idea if you are attending a sporting event or in other situations where you will be surrounded by a lot of people and a mass shooting is likely to occur.
4. Listen to the Experts
When it comes to mass shootings and other disasters, highly trained professionals such as law enforcement and military personnel can offer some great insight. Here is an example.
5. Think Ahead
It doesn't matter how you arm yourself if you don't have the ability to think and act quickly under pressure. Be aware of the risks, plan an escape route, and go over scenarios in your head so that you can act quickly when SHTF. Here are some tips to get you started.
Do you have any active shooter survival tips of your own? Share them with us in the comments!
And be sure to follow our friends over at Gun Carrier for more great self-defense tips.
For awesome survival gear you can’t make at home, check out the Survival Life Store!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on June 15, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
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What We Can Learn from the Recent Mass Shootings