Movement Saves Lives!
There is a reason “Move!” is in the center of the Active Shooter Triangle used in the Survive a Shooting course and featured on the Survive a Shooting posters. (See them over in the right sidebar.)
In an active shooter situation, you must do something immediately. You must move! When the adrenaline rush hits, people go into the fight or flight response, but there is another “f” and that is freeze. We can’t afford to freeze in such situations. Remembering to breathe, having a plan, and prior training are all important to reduce or prevent this freeze reaction. Freezing and remaining motionless can mean death. Movement can save your life.
What Movement Saves Lives?
Any movement is better than freezing, but what you do will be determined by your location to the shooter and your environment. You can escape, which could be running away or going out a window. You might move quickly to lock and barricade the door to deny the shooter access to you by keeping him out. If the shooter is right there, your best option my be to attack back and take him out. You attack back with anything available. If you are armed, use what you have. If unarmed, grab an improvised weapon or just use the tools you were born with by tackling the shooter and pounding his head into the floor with hammer fists. What you do is sometimes not as important as doing something. In almost every situation, doing something is going to be better than doing nothing.
I remember when a report came out regarding a plan to throw cans at an armed intruder if he came into a classroom. Some people were quick to criticize this. I’m not going to criticize it, because it’s better than not moving! Creating chaos and movement make it extremely difficult to shoot someone. Being hit with cans is going to mess up the killer’s OODA Loop and make it difficult to focus on his original task. This can create the opening to then tackle and take out the shooter. This is a lot better than jumping under desks to hide and hope.
Bottom Line
Movement saves lives, so move. Do something. Escape, deny, or attack back. I’m always ecstatic when people in my classes say, “I never thought of that, but I could do it if I had to…” That is what the Survive a Shooting course (read review) is all about. It provides people with options to increase their chances of surviving. Moving is key. Movement saves lives!
Movement Saves Lives – FaceBook Live video recorded 8/1/17