Active Shooter in Spokane, WA

Today there was an Active Shooter in Spokane, WA. Sadly, one student was killed and three others injured before one of the staff tackled the shooter and restrained him until police arrived. Here is a video I filmed live on Facebook discussing the shooting and a couple points that reinforce the things I am teaching in the Survive a Shooting course, and that I wrote about in the soon to be published Survive a Shooting book.

Watch the Active Shooter in Spokane, WA, video:

As I state in the video, the student who tried to stop the active shooter in Spokane, WA, should be considered a hero for trying to do something, and trying to help his fellow students. Sadly, he used the wrong tool. Crisis communications is a valuable skill, and the ability to defuse a situation and talk down a person who may commit violence is a valuable tool when facing a situation where it will work. Unfortunately, when a person is already shooting at people, killing them or trying to kill them, the time for talking is past and the only tool to stop the violence is counter violence. That’s why I recommended Tim Larkin’s book. He discusses this and explains the concepts very well.

 

Also, as I state in the video, this active shooter in Spokane, WA, shows that ordinary people can stop these active shooter events. People have done it before, and just as the staff member did today, people will stop these in the future too. That is why I teach what I teach. I don’t want people being helpless victims waiting for someone to save them. I want people to know what they can do to increase the chance of surviving.

Thoughts and prayers go out to all those in Spokane, WA. Especially to the family of the student who was killed.

Also see my tribute video:  Sam Strahan & Joe Bowen: Heroes of the Spokane Shooting