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

1. Keep 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.
2. Know what the procedure is that is already in place. Many schools and workplaces have "lockdown" 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.
3. Respond to the sound of gunshots according to your situation:
   
   
   • 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, but 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 will likely result in the deaths of you and even more around you. Leave attacking the gunman to those equipped and trained to do so.
     • Do whatever you have to do to stay alive, even if it means attacking the shooter. To disarm an armed assailant, you'll need to take his focus off his or her weapon and plan of attack. To do this, 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 nonbusiness end of the gun. With two hands on the gun, you can knee the attacker in the groin. A better idea might be to twist your hands like they are revving a motorcycle engine. The weapon will pivot and break the gunman's finger inside the trigger guard.
   • If you see the shooter, 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 hear gunshots and are in a room, lock the door or barricade it, turn off the lights, and hide quietly in a place in the room that is out of sight of doors and windows. If there are others in the room, tell them to stay in the room hiding and to remain quiet. You shouldn't leave the room since you don't know where the shooter is. Call the emergency services (911/999/112) if there is a phone. Stay in the room until help arrives.
   • If you hear gunshots and you are in the halls, find the nearest way out of the building, or run to a room that you can hide in. It would be better to leave the building, but if the nearest exit is not in sight, run into the nearest room, preferably with windows, to hide.
   • If you hear gunshots and are in a bathroom, your best bet is to remain in the bathroom. The shooter could be right outside after all and probably won't waste their time checking the bathrooms. Lock the bathroom door if you are able to. If there is soap, put it on the floor near the door to make it slippery. It may seem silly, but there is a good chance the shooter could slip and you could make your escape. Another thing you can do is go into a stall, lock it, and crouch on the toilet seat to hide. Call the emergency services (911/999/112) if you have a cell phone on you, but stay as quiet as possible.
   • Call the emergency services as soon as it is safe to do so. If you hear gunshots and are outside, go in the opposite direction from where you heard the gunshots. Call the emergency services (911/999/112) as soon as you are far enough away. Assist other people that are fleeing the building after you call.
4. Wait for help to arrive. Before you open the door to someone that says "police" or "paramedics" be aware that it could be the shooter trying to get you to open the door. Ask them questions and make sure that they are actually police or someone trying to help you.
5. Be as helpful as possible to the authorities. Tell them everything you know. Police officers are now getting new training in how to deal with school shootings, so they don't have to wait for SWAT.

Tips

• Remain calm. It will be very hard to remain calm, but you'll need your sanity to survive.
• Do not hesitate. Every second counts.
• Remember to help those around you if you can. If someone is shot, tend to them as quickly as you can.
• It is best to call emergency services on a landline phone, as a mobile phone may trigger a radio-controlled bomb.
• Carry around something that you can use to defend yourself, such as pepper spray or a taser.
• Have support for conflict resolution, character building, and psychological support in schools and workplaces. Troubled individuals often have a history of social problems, and identifying and helping resolve these issues can prevent school and workplace shootings.
• Seek therapy afterward, if the event was deeply troubling for you.
• When necessary and escaping through an upper-floor window, find a drain pipe or a ledge that can slow your descent or let you slide down part of the way. You'll likely hurt your ankles when you land, so be prepared to break the fall with a quick roll. Protect your body by rolling over one shoulder, diagonally across the back and onto the opposite hip. It is better to escape with a couple broken bones than to be shot and killed. Use this as a last resort though. For example, if you are on the 3rd floor with windows that do not open, and it is safe to jump, you may throw a computer through the window. Yes, they are expensive but cost does not matter when someone is coming after you with a gun.
• Attend a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing to discuss the incident with others that were involved. The state or federal government has people who are trained and will travel to your location to assist you with the emotional as well as physical recovery.
• Don't take personal belongings or put yourself at risk to collect these items. Personal property can be replaced—humans can't.
• Always treat your fellow students and co-workers with with respect. You influence more people's lives in your everyday life than you will ever know. Make the influence a positive one.
• Remember the "C"s:
  • Calmness - screaming probably won't help you.
  • Cover - decrease your chances of being shot.
  • Common sense and instincts - move away from the shooter, windows, and doors.
  • Creativity - e.g., putting soap on the floor.
  • Courage - it won't be easy.
  • Cellphone or landline phone - to call 911 or other emergency number.

Warnings

• Don't let the fear of a shooting change your life. It is out of your control.Just live life to its fullest knowing what to do if a shooting ever did happen.
• If you have a gun, do not try to act like a hero unless the attacker is in full sight and there are no obstacles nearby.
• Remember that schools are some of the safest places to be. Children ages 12 to 18 are far more likely to be killed or seriously assaulted outside school, said Delbert S. Elliott, director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado.
• If you are a teacher or principal, educate your students about this serious issue. But don't scare them to death! Remind them that the odds are minuscule (less than the building catching fire!) but it is better to be safe than sorry.
• Do not try to talk to or negotiate with someone shooting or making threats with a weapon, unless you have no choice. There are people with specialized training for this. Your job is to get as far away as quickly as possible.
• Emergency personnel are trained to survey a scene before entering it. Don't be shocked if the cavalry stays parked outside and doesn't come running in before the threat is established. They're taught that they can't help anyone if they're dead. It's true but an unpleasant reality if you're the one inside with a threatening person.