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How to Survive a School or Workplace Shooting
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What would you do if a shooting happened in your own school or workplace ? It is a scary thought , but it is something that could happen to anybody . Having some ideas about how to respond beforehand could save your life .
Steps alert and always report suspicious incidents to the authorities . If a student or co-worker threatens to bring a knife or a gun , for example , report this to a teacher or supervisor . You might prevent a disaster by doing so . If there are students or coworkers who lawfully carry weapons or tools , they will be able to explain this to your supervisor .
Know what the procedure is that is already in place . Many schools and workplaces have “ lock down ” procedures . An example of this could be that the students hide in the corner of their classroom , out of sight of doors and windows , while the teacher locks the door and turns off the lights . If you are in the halls , you might be expected to run inside the nearest classroom . Whatever it is , know what it is , and if there is no procedure in place , talk to a teacher or boss about creating one right away .
Respond to the sound of gunshots according to your situation : If you see the shooter at distance , running away should be your first plan , when possible . At 20 feet from the gunman , you ’ re still within a deadly range , but at 40 feet , you ’ re a difficult shot . If he starts to shoot as you ’ re making your escape , run in a zigzag or another unpredictable pattern . This will decrease your chances of being hit . Seek an exit , or if you have to , hide in a room , preferably with windows , so you have a way of escaping the room if you have to . Lock or barricade the door and turn off the lights . If a door will not lock , barricade it with tables and chairs . You might want to do this anyway just in case . If there is a phone in the room , Call the emergency services ( 911 / 999 / 112 ) as soon as the door is locked and blocked . If you don ’ t have time , call and leave the phone off the hook . The police will automatically come to see if there is a problem . If you are in the same area as the shooter , find cover , fast . If the shooter opens fire , attempt to take cover behind heavy furniture or any other heavy obstacle . If there is nothing close , simply drop to the floor and lie flat . This will protect your vital organs and make you a smaller target to the shooter . Lying flat could also make the shooter mistake you for dead . Remain quiet and still . If the shooter is about to shoot you , do anything you can to stop them . Try talking to the shooter if you know them , but use caution . You could possibly change their mind , but remember , if they have a gun in their hand , they may not be convinced by anything . Attacking an armed assailant is unwise unless you have absolutely no other option . They have likely already decided to shoot people , and threatening them may result in the deaths of you and even more around you . To take his focus off his or her weapon and plan of attack , you might throw chairs , laptops , or fire extinguishers , or set off the sprinkler system or fire alarm .
Then , pick up a desk or some other shield and charge right at the shooter . There ’ s a risk you ’ ll be killed in the process , but if two or three people rush at once , there ’ s also a chance that somebody will take the shooter down . Unarmed civilians who band together have a much better chance of surviving an attack . If you ’ re already within a step or two of the shooter , you might be able to grab his or her weapon . If the shooter is facing you , quickly reach up and take hold of the barrel , and then aim it away from your body . The move should be as clean and economical as possible .
The gunman will reflexively pull the gun back away from you . Follow the movement , gripping the gun and push your weight forward . Then , punch him in the face or the throat as hard as you can . Hit him on the nose , jab your fingers into his eyes , or strike him with the heel of your open palm . Then use your free hand to grab the non business end of the gun . With two hands on the gun , you can knee the attacker in the groin . If you are barricaded in a room with other people , firmly order everyone to spread out as widely as possible , and get down on the floor behind furniture or any other cover . People have a natural tendency to huddle together in a crisis , but in a shooting situation , this just makes all of you one big , stationary target . Spreading out and getting down low makes everyone a more difficult target .
46 | North Dakota Spring / Summer 2014 | abusemagazine . org Source : wiki