In truth, your odds of being involved in a mass shooting are very low, but being prepared greatly increases your chance of survival should you find yourself in that situation.


Steps

1. Try to avoid high-risk places. Obviously, you can't predict where such a thing will happen, but schools and malls are target areas.
   • Crowded places. In large mobs, it is easy for a killer to score dozens of kills with an automatic without specifically aiming at certain people. Sometimes because of the noise, the gunshots may not be audible. The good news is that the people will form a human shield, and security is more likely to be present.
   • Uncrowded places. Here, the people you are with are less likely to be killers or security. But, if someone does start shooting you're in trouble because you have no human shield and the killer is more likely to turn their attention on you. Crowded and uncrowded places have their own advantages and disadvantages.
2. Seek solid cover. Try to find cover close by that is bulletproof and you can't be seen there. Also, be sure the killer won't go there to check.
3. Call 911. to alert the police. The people around the shooter probably ran and did not have time to call, and people who hear the gunshots from far away probably don't know what is happening. Tell the police how many perpetrators there are, their armaments, and how many people are wounded.
4. Run. Run for your life, literally. Don't stop until you've gotten to safety. Don't go back to check on anyone you were with who got separated from you during the shooting, unless it is your immediate family.
5. Help wounded people. If the shooter is not in the vicinity. There are always a lot of these; people that got shot in a non-lethal but nonetheless painful spot will need help. Assess their condition and refer them to the paramedics when they come. Be prepared for some blood.

Tips

• When running while knowing the killer is focused on and going to shoot at you, run in a zig-zag pattern, like this ///->. Moving targets are harder to hit.
• If you are in plain sight of the killer, fall flat to minimize the target, making him give up or miss multiple times.
• You can also play dead.
• Your chest is the biggest target and has important organs so try to keep it covered.
• You may want to think about having a weapon of your own in case such a situation occurs.

Warnings

• Don't spend all your life worrying about this, it happens to very few people.
• Never try to be a hero in any way unless you have training other than calling 911 or helping wounded people when the shooter leaves.
• Don't try to reason or plead with the killer or they will kill you.