Man
Professional
- Messages
- 3,077
- Reaction score
- 614
- Points
- 113
"The Renegades"
Despite the numerous efforts of our undoubtedly wise, just and humane state aimed at strictly restricting the sale of weapons, for some reason there are no fewer episodes of mass shootings. Because if a citizen is particularly determined, risky, ready for anything, and especially if he has nothing left to lose, he will find a way to get a rifle or a pistol. Therefore, it is extremely important to know the basic principles of behavior and survival during mass shooting.
It would be better, of course, if you never needed this knowledge and skills, and the words “mass shooting” remained a distant (but no less frightening) event for you, which is reported in the news. But useful knowledge should be remembered (especially in light of recent events in the USA, New Zealand, Europe, Russia, etc.) So…
Mass shooting or hostage taking?
Both situations are extremely dangerous and at first glance similar. In both situations the leading role is given to armed people. Only in mass shooting the aggressor first shoots and then only asks questions, if he does so at all, and in hostage taking they shoot mainly at those who refuse to obey. The chances of surviving in the second option are higher, because each hostage acquires some value, so if you are not shot at once, then the chances of survival still remain. But this is a separate topic for discussion.
In any case, you need to learn to recognize what kind of scenario you are dealing with. When taking hostages, aggressors most often act in a group, cover their faces, rarely open fire immediately to kill and carry out preliminary explosions. Mass shooting is most often carried out by individuals who do not hide their faces, immediately shoot to kill and often resort to the use of explosive devices to create even greater panic.
How to survive?
Frankly, there is no universal rescue plan. You need to take into account the circumstances. Where the shooting took place, whether you have any specific weapons, the number of people, the need to assist with the evacuation, and much more. But if you put all the complexities aside, there are only 3 main scenarios - hide, run, or fight. And depending, again, on the circumstances, any of these tactics may prove effective in each specific case.
Hide
Or play dead. Let's say right away - many attackers have a habit of conducting control shots. They are in no hurry, and they have enough ammunition. When the main mass of potential victims runs away, the aggressors have nothing left to do except "clear" the premises. Therefore, you need to hide thoughtfully. If possible, create barriers using furniture that you still need to break through. And remember that a table is a lousy shelter from bullets, even pistol ones. Walls are okay, especially if they are brick or concrete, but wooden furniture and doors, alas, provide practically no protection. It is best to use this tactic only when there are no other options. And always be ready to switch from "hide and seek" to attack with the help of improvised means. After all, there is nothing left to lose anyway.
Run away
The main thing is to immediately understand where the shots are coming from, so that you can start moving in the opposite direction. For this, it would be useful to understand in advance how different weapons can sound. You need to move quickly, do not take heavy and bulky things with you, bend over, help evacuate those who do not understand what is happening. And there will be quite a lot of them. If you need to jump out of the second floor windows, you need to do it very carefully so as not to hurt yourself in the process. Because it is quite easy to hit a hobbling target from the windows. To increase your chances, you should run in zigzags, if possible, unpredictably changing the direction of movement.
Fight
Perhaps the riskiest option. Yes, unarmed people don't have much of a chance against a person with a firearm. However, there are ways to increase your chances. A coordinated attack by several people from several sides at once - someone will still manage to get to the aggressor. And strike with any means at hand. According to some of our features of the laws on self-defense, you can attack an enemy armed with a pistol with a knife. The case, of course, will be opened, but a not guilty verdict is most likely. Throwing heavy objects also helps. They can inflict damage, distract, and deflect the barrel. The main thing is to get to close combat range - here firearms do not provide the same advantage. You can use the "ambush-attack" combination. Especially if you can take cover indoors. The thing is that there are "blind spots" that are not visible from the corridor. That is where you should hide for the purpose of an ambush. And yes, after you have called the police and rescuers, it is better to turn off your phones or put them on silent mode. Otherwise, there will be no ambush.
In the US, where there are significantly more mass shootings, they have even released special video tutorials that explain how to behave in such situations for unprepared people. They are even shown in school classes. Unfortunately, schools, churches, universities and other gun-free zones are favorite targets for lone shooters.
In any case, your tactics should depend on your skills. If there is specific experience in hand-to-hand combat and good physical training, and also if the mass shooting takes place in a place where there are quite a lot of absolutely defenseless and unprepared to react to aggression citizens, such as women, children and old people, then attacking the aggressor is one of the most reliable options. If not, then it is better to choose flight. If there is no possibility to escape, it is worth cooperating with those who can fight back and organize an attack from several sides, diverting the enemy's attention to yourself. Yes, it is risky. But it does not contradict the basic principles of "personal survival".
But as experience shows, in most situations people choose the "panic flight" tactic. And it doesn’t work to coordinate behavior. So you have to rely only on your skills and abilities. And self-defense tools, which are still best to always carry with you.
Despite the numerous efforts of our undoubtedly wise, just and humane state aimed at strictly restricting the sale of weapons, for some reason there are no fewer episodes of mass shootings. Because if a citizen is particularly determined, risky, ready for anything, and especially if he has nothing left to lose, he will find a way to get a rifle or a pistol. Therefore, it is extremely important to know the basic principles of behavior and survival during mass shooting.
It would be better, of course, if you never needed this knowledge and skills, and the words “mass shooting” remained a distant (but no less frightening) event for you, which is reported in the news. But useful knowledge should be remembered (especially in light of recent events in the USA, New Zealand, Europe, Russia, etc.) So…
Mass shooting or hostage taking?
Both situations are extremely dangerous and at first glance similar. In both situations the leading role is given to armed people. Only in mass shooting the aggressor first shoots and then only asks questions, if he does so at all, and in hostage taking they shoot mainly at those who refuse to obey. The chances of surviving in the second option are higher, because each hostage acquires some value, so if you are not shot at once, then the chances of survival still remain. But this is a separate topic for discussion.
In any case, you need to learn to recognize what kind of scenario you are dealing with. When taking hostages, aggressors most often act in a group, cover their faces, rarely open fire immediately to kill and carry out preliminary explosions. Mass shooting is most often carried out by individuals who do not hide their faces, immediately shoot to kill and often resort to the use of explosive devices to create even greater panic.
How to survive?
Frankly, there is no universal rescue plan. You need to take into account the circumstances. Where the shooting took place, whether you have any specific weapons, the number of people, the need to assist with the evacuation, and much more. But if you put all the complexities aside, there are only 3 main scenarios - hide, run, or fight. And depending, again, on the circumstances, any of these tactics may prove effective in each specific case.
Hide
Or play dead. Let's say right away - many attackers have a habit of conducting control shots. They are in no hurry, and they have enough ammunition. When the main mass of potential victims runs away, the aggressors have nothing left to do except "clear" the premises. Therefore, you need to hide thoughtfully. If possible, create barriers using furniture that you still need to break through. And remember that a table is a lousy shelter from bullets, even pistol ones. Walls are okay, especially if they are brick or concrete, but wooden furniture and doors, alas, provide practically no protection. It is best to use this tactic only when there are no other options. And always be ready to switch from "hide and seek" to attack with the help of improvised means. After all, there is nothing left to lose anyway.
Run away
The main thing is to immediately understand where the shots are coming from, so that you can start moving in the opposite direction. For this, it would be useful to understand in advance how different weapons can sound. You need to move quickly, do not take heavy and bulky things with you, bend over, help evacuate those who do not understand what is happening. And there will be quite a lot of them. If you need to jump out of the second floor windows, you need to do it very carefully so as not to hurt yourself in the process. Because it is quite easy to hit a hobbling target from the windows. To increase your chances, you should run in zigzags, if possible, unpredictably changing the direction of movement.
Fight
Perhaps the riskiest option. Yes, unarmed people don't have much of a chance against a person with a firearm. However, there are ways to increase your chances. A coordinated attack by several people from several sides at once - someone will still manage to get to the aggressor. And strike with any means at hand. According to some of our features of the laws on self-defense, you can attack an enemy armed with a pistol with a knife. The case, of course, will be opened, but a not guilty verdict is most likely. Throwing heavy objects also helps. They can inflict damage, distract, and deflect the barrel. The main thing is to get to close combat range - here firearms do not provide the same advantage. You can use the "ambush-attack" combination. Especially if you can take cover indoors. The thing is that there are "blind spots" that are not visible from the corridor. That is where you should hide for the purpose of an ambush. And yes, after you have called the police and rescuers, it is better to turn off your phones or put them on silent mode. Otherwise, there will be no ambush.
In the US, where there are significantly more mass shootings, they have even released special video tutorials that explain how to behave in such situations for unprepared people. They are even shown in school classes. Unfortunately, schools, churches, universities and other gun-free zones are favorite targets for lone shooters.
In any case, your tactics should depend on your skills. If there is specific experience in hand-to-hand combat and good physical training, and also if the mass shooting takes place in a place where there are quite a lot of absolutely defenseless and unprepared to react to aggression citizens, such as women, children and old people, then attacking the aggressor is one of the most reliable options. If not, then it is better to choose flight. If there is no possibility to escape, it is worth cooperating with those who can fight back and organize an attack from several sides, diverting the enemy's attention to yourself. Yes, it is risky. But it does not contradict the basic principles of "personal survival".
But as experience shows, in most situations people choose the "panic flight" tactic. And it doesn’t work to coordinate behavior. So you have to rely only on your skills and abilities. And self-defense tools, which are still best to always carry with you.
