Capital Gazette Shooting in Annapolis MD

The Capital Gazette Shooting in Annapolis, MD, is another tragic incident where five lives were lost, and countless other affected by this senseless and needless violence. I truly wish I wasn’t writing and teaching about this topic because it wasn’t needed. I’d gladly teach mediation skills, negotiation skills, and effective communication as those are topics I’ve taught and written about since law school. However, because these killing continue, and statistics prove they are more frequent than they use to be, I will do everything I can to help people be better prepared and increase their survivability.

I am NOT blaming anyone at the Capital Gazette for what they did, or what they tweeted or said. They didn’t know different. But I do disagree with things that were tweeted and said. The ONLY person to blame is the sick individual that took a firearm to the newspaper office and committed the Capital Gazette Shooting. I refuse to type his name because I don’t want to give him any acknowledgment at all. He’s sick and I wish they would just put him down for all the terror and heartbreak he’s caused. I feel the same about everyone who preys on innocent victims.

But to help people for future incidents, because, sadly, there will be more, I want to share the comments I disagree with and why.

One statement by a Capital Gazette shooting survivor, “it’s not something anyone can prepare themselves for.”

I agree and disagree with this. He was right in the fact that I don’t think we can fully prepare ourselves for the sudden, unexpected horror of an event like that. However, there ARE things we can do to better prepare ourselves for such an occurrence. And I’m not talking about turning everyone into Rambo so they can take out these sick monsters.

We can learn how to harden targets, and position ourselves in ways to better escape or respond. We can learn to better identify and report risk factors, and risk assessment teams and law enforcement can increase what they are doing regarding potential threats. (This is extremely difficult because of our freedoms and rights in this country, which I DO NOT want to see deteriorated.) We can make places easier to lock down and deny access to where we are at. We can learn how to attack back and stop these killers and the ways and opportunities that give us the best chance of doing so. We can purchase and know how to use life saving devices such as tourniquets and pressure bandages. We can increase our awareness, which will help keep us safe in general, not just from active shooters and other terrorists. We can learn how to interact with law enforcement during these situations to better help them do their job and accomplish their mission. There are MANY things we can do to better prepare ourselves for these kinds of situations. Having some kind of plan for emergencies, including active shooter situations, can help a person respond during crisis.

Another tweet I read that really bothered me was from a man that was hiding under a desk and heard the gunman reloading. Anyone who has read my book or taken a class with me knows that hiding and hoping is not a plan for survival. I am very glad that individual who tweeted that survived. But the fact is, hiding under a desk and hoping does not provide the best chance of survival. Being proactive, taking your safety and survival into your own hands, and escaping, denying, or attacking back are proven to be the best options. Which option will depend on different variables, and that’s why I created the Active Shooter Response Triangle for my book, posters, and classes.

Things that were not a surprise to me regarding the Capital Gazette shooting because they have happened before include: signs before hand of a potential incident, the suspect barricaded the exit doors as part of a pre-planned attack, the suspect stopped to reload his firearm, people thought initial sounds were fireworks. These are all things studied because they repeatedly occur. This knowledge helps us prepare, and hopefully prevent shootings and deaths in the future.

I want everyone reading this to know there are things you can do to help make yourself safer and to increase your survivability in an active shooter or terrorist attack. No, nothing is 100%, and I can’t ensure no one else dies. No one can do that. But I can provide information, that if acted upon, can make a difference and increase your odds if ever faced with such a horrific situation. That’s why I say my book is the most important book you will every read that I hope you never need.

Capital Gazette Shooting Victims

As a final note, I want to say my heartfelt condolences, thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family members of those killed yesterday. May the all Rest In Peace.

  • Rob Hiaasen, 59, an editor and columnist
  • Wendi Winters, 65, a local news reporter and community columnist
  • John McNamara, 56, an editor and sports reporter (who worked directly with Messenger, an intern in the sports department).
  • Gerald Fischman, 61, the editorial page editor
  • Rebecca Smith, sales assistant

 

Photo Copyright Patrick Semanski/AP Photo