Last Monday morning, we all awoke to the news of the Las Vegas massacre where 59 people were shot and killed, and another 527 people were injured while attending a Jason Aldean country music concert across the street from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
Every time there is a mass shooting, pundits on both sides of the gun control debate come out in force. The fact is people with guns couldn’t have prevented Stephen Paddock, the 64-year-old shooter who was perched 32 stories above the event in a hotel room raining death down on so many innocent people.
In this case tougher gun laws wouldn’t have kept him from committing this heinous and unimaginable act because criminals don’t follow the laws. Many of the weapons that he used were already illegal and early indications show that he may have personally modified the weapons that he used to cause more death.
So instead of turning this into a political debate, let’s talk about how to survive if you ever find yourself in this kind of horrific situation.
One journalist described the victims as “sitting ducks in a kill box,” leaving them with little hope for survival. But despite the fact that 59 people were killed, we also need to recognize that nearly 99 percent survived. Acts of heroism and bravery were abundant, as people came together to help their fellow man in the minutes and hours that followed.
Stephen Paddock used a bump stock to make his weapons fully automatic
During times of chaos and confusion, we see the different ways people react. Some stare in disbelief, frozen and afraid to make a move, while others react quickly with decisiveness and resolve.
In the carnage all around him, one Las Vegas concert goer even stood in defiance as others all around him were ducking for cover, with a beer with one hand and giving the Mandalay Bay shooter a one finger salute with the other hand. I’m sure he had some liquid courage flowing through his veins and this is not a unusual reaction, but as a safety and risk management professional, I would not encourage such behavior.
Survival instinct is a strange behavior to study. Some of us are born with a predisposed natural ability to quickly assess potential threats with Jason Bourne-like ability to have a plan A, B, C for escape and survival.
Others learn survival instincts from dangers they were forced to encounter. A prime example of such behavior is that of a soldier who has recently returned home from combat. When my nephews came back from Iraq and Afghanistan, they both had a hard time going into crowds and would often choose to sit on the floor and away from any windows.
All these habits are instinctual, and I am convinced that just like the law of the jungle, over time we all become survivors in this very dangerous world, picking up certain safety habits that allow us to grow old and grey.
After learning of the Las Vegas massacre I again reminded my adult kids that if they ever hear what they believe to be fire-crackers to not assume that they are, but to instead flee in the opposition direction.
Don’t wait. It’s better to be wrong and have reacted than to have not reacted and to later regret it.
As I have grown older, I find myself looking for exits as soon as I enter a room or restaurant and wonder if it’s my loss control safety training or is it something else? I also notice that I want to sit with my back to the wall facing the entrance. I’m not sure when I developed this habit.
Deer hunters know that the bucks don’t grow old by making mistakes and have natural instinctual safety habits. People with similar instincts are quickly able to assess a situation instantaneously, triggering the part of the personality that quickly assesses danger and safety. Instinct is the jungle wisdom that tells you when to wait, when to take action, who to trust, and who not to trust.
Doubt and idealism can also cause a person to not respond correctly. The desire for life to be a certain way rather than what life really is can cloud judgment just enough to cause you to overlook a hazardous situation. An example of this would be the idealism to believe that all people are good-hearted causing you to doubt that anybody would want to do you any harm.
Your odds of surviving a mass shooting are very good, if you are prepared. Debating gun rights on social media isn’t going to change anything. The lesson in this article is that we should all strive to develop a bit of a risk management life preserving mentally in just about every situation. Planning for the worst but still expecting the best outcome. If you are always wondering what if, and when “IF,” then know how respond and be a survivor.
In an active shooter situation, remember the following:
Increase Your Odds: Immediately upon entering any public place that could be a potential target for a mass shooting, you need to scan the area and determine your exit strategy. Determine the best place to sit, stand or otherwise congregate that will give you the best advantage or provide you with coverage to hide. Dress accordingly too. Remember it’s much harder to flee in high heels.
Situational Awareness: Most of the earliest victims in Las Vegas didn’t know what was happening. People at the concert reported thinking it was fireworks until people started to fall. The sooner you can determine what is happening and react, your chances for survival increase. Also be aware of your surroundings and behaviors of others. If something seems out of place, such as an abandoned backpack during the Boston Marathon bombing, make others aware and move safely away.
Bolt From Danger: When faced with an active shooter situation, the No. 1 way to increase your survival chances is to flee immediately. When the shooting briefly stops, that is the time to run because the shooter is most likely reloading. In the videos coming out of Las Vegas, most didn’t.
Herd Mentality: Animals run in herds for obvious reasons — to increase their chances of survival. Running in the middle of the herd could save your life unless you are all trying to fit through a door. Typically, shooters are aiming at the easy targets on the outside of the group. In this instance, the shooter was up high, so the herd position wouldn’t have matter, but being in a moving group still would have made you a harder target to hit than a single person alone.
When A Shooter Zigs You Zag: If you can’t run in a group, then run in a zig zag pattern towards your destination to make your movement less predictable and harder to hit.
Be Prepared: If you live in a state that allows you to conceal a firearm and are comfortable with doing so, this is your most effective self-defensive measure to neutralize a threat and you keep you safe. If you don’t have a carry conceal permit, you don’t feel comfortable carrying a weapon or the venue doesn’t allow you to bring a weapon, this doesn’t mean you can’t prepared. Take the time to study the outline of your seating, bring a mini flashlight, your cellphone and even a pocket knife if possible.
Alcohol Clouds Judgment: Here is another time when your parents were right. You should avoid alcohol.
Trust Your Feelings: That gut feeling that things are not right is in instinctual. This clue is the most reliable because the body is able to detect stimulus long before we have consciously put it all together.
Create A Distraction: If the opportunity presents itself to flee but you risk being seen, you may want to consider creating a distraction that gives you that small window of opportunity. For example, if you are in need of a distraction, maybe you can call the office down the hall on a speaker phone to draw the shooter away.
Hide: When fleeing isn’t an option hide. Develop some stealth-like ability. Wherever you chose to hide try to lock or block the door if possible, turn off the lights and eliminate anything that can draw attention to you, such as a cellphone ringer. If possible preplan your hiding spot and if you are in an office environment, look to see if there is a credenza large enough to climb into. In an active shooter situation, you are in a real life game of hide and seek only your life depends on it.
Call for Help: Don’t rely on others to call. You can provide crucial information such as the number of shooters, their description, type of weapons and their exact whereabouts.
Fight For Your Life: Remember there is safety in numbers. Once a shooting begins, join forces with others as long as the group isn’t in an absolute panic. It’s a united we stand, divided we fall situation.
Find a weapon of opportunity, such a a chair leg, eating utensils, fire extinguisher, stapler, umbrella or a broken bottle. And while you wait, mentally prepare yourself to attack. Even a Bic-Pen can be used as a weapon. Terrorists and mass shooters are generally not trained fighters so your odds of survival increase if multiple people join forces.
Remember the art of survival is not about being fearless, it’s about making a decision to live and doing whatever it takes to survive. Time doesn’t stand still and seconds may matter. The difference between a survivor and a victim is that the survivor decides to be the victor against all odds and is not afraid to fail.
Be Safe My Friends.
Keven Moore works in risk management services. He has a bachelor’s degree from University of Kentucky, a master’s from Eastern Kentucky University and 25-plus years of experience in the safety and insurance profession. He lives in Lexington with his family and works out of both the Lexington and Northern Kentucky offices. Keven can be reached at kmoore@roeding.com.
