Active Shooter Proofing our Kids

[mercop]

Every parents worst nightmare is seeing their child's school on Fox News with the tape across the bottom saying "School Shooting". According to my research from 1996 until present, there has been 44 school shootings in the US which one or more people were killed. This number is likely to rise. We need to teach our kids from an early age that they need to be aware of their surroundings and options to make them safer at all times.

Most schools have adopted similar plans that start with an announcement or other signal that there is an emergency. Teachers are instructed to quickly look into the hallway and get any students they see into their room, secure their room, take attendance of kids in the room, and add any other students or staff to the sheet, and slide it out into the hallway. Then they wait for further instructions. Depending on where you live, the plan may vary but this is what I have found to be most common.

This is an excellent strategy especially for younger children of grade school age. The problem however is that historically elementary schools are not the targets of active shooters. The vast majority of active shooters occurred in middle schools, high schools, and colleges. It also seems that the vast majority of casualties and fatalities were in gathering places like cafeterias, libraries, gyms, and school entrances. The age of school shooters in the US has ranged from 11 yrs of age up to the early 20's for college shooters. The median age seems to be around 15 yrs of age.

Research shows that the shooters were considered by many to be outcasts by their peers. Because of this, it was their peers that they targeted. Often the shooters plan was to target a particular group or person, but others became targets of opportunity. What makes school shooters so deadly is that not only do they know the physical layout and schedule of the school, but more importantly the know where and when to find large groups that provide for a target rich environment for their intended carnage.

With this information we know that-

* School shootings are most likely to occur in middle schools, high schools, and colleges.
* The shooter is likely to be a student at the school they target.
* The most dangerous place to be is in large common areas where students habitually gather.


The key to active shooter proofing our kids is teaching and modeling awareness, avoidance, and identifying their options.

Awareness- this is all encompassing. The goal is not only to be aware of your surroundings at all times, but where they fit into what is happening. Being the obvious target of aggression and being a bystander obviously allows and requires different actions.

Another part of awareness is learning to trust gut feelings about people and situations. When something is not right, kids need to be encouraged to act on it. This can range from reporting something that they overheard in conversation, to just knowing when things are not right.

Avoidance- All students are going to spend a large amount of time in kill zones such as cafeterias, libraries, and gyms. As a rule, they should avoid being near the main entrance to a space and the likely entrance for a shooter. Have them make a habit of positioning themselves near an exit that leads outside if possible. This is a basic principle whether they are at school or a restaurant. Caution them against leaving the area as soon as they hear gunfire, if they cannot tell where it is coming from. Leaving the area is best done when they can see the shooter, or there are obvious signs that he is close.

In my opinion, regardless of the school's rules about cell phones every student over the age of 13 should have one on their person in case of an emergency. During emergencies, they should only use texting since it does not overburden the phone lines and is usually available even with there is no cell coverage. Everyone, not just students, need to have a primary and secondary ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact. As soon as they feel safe to do so, they should be instructed to send a text to both ICE contacts to let them know what is happening and their location.

By now they have escaped the kill zone and established communications with their ICE contacts. This is where both you as a parent and the student will be flooded with options. Remind your student that they if they are thinking about options they are alive. This is where critical thinking needs to take over for both of you.

Once exiting the building, they should avoid open spaces like parking lots and sports fields that may be secondary kill zones. As soon as they exit the building, they need to identify a structure that they are going to move to and to keep moving no matter what. Once they are in that structure, tell them to only move if there is a good reason.

Historically shooters will seldom follow one or two targets to leave an area containing dozens.

Nothing about this subject is comfortable to even consider, but we still need to plan for it.

[silk22]

Well done! Great analysis and breakdown of tactics.

[LittleRedToyota]

great post as per usual mercop. the whole keep the fish in the barrel response has always driven me nuts. if i had a kid in school, i would instruct him to ignore all that crap and find a way out of the school. (i would go over possible escape route with him/her.) or if he/she could not get out, to find some small way-out-of-the-way place to hide by himself/herself.

and add any other students or staff to the sheet, and slide it out into the hallway.

this is something i had not heard of before. how convenient for the killer if he happens to really be targeting a few individuals. he will be able to find them much more quickly.

so, now not only have we ensured the fishes will not escape the barrels, we have actually labeled each barrel so the shooter knows exactly which fish are in which barrels without even having to look inside the barrels.

morons.

[Flash]

Long ago, when "school shootings" were just coming to the notice of the media, my grandkids got the basic indoctrination: Starting with "never be in the middle of anything" to know at all times where each and every exit is and how to best get out of the building, check each door before you go through it, and once out, run (zig-zag if you hear shots)to some secure barrier location. Get as much distance between you and the shots as you can. Then report in to Mom first, (you don't need to call "authorities" because they prob already know) then others.

Flash

[JohnUSCG]

Another well thought out and informative post, Mercop! THIS is one of the main reasons to have a forum such as this.

[Sandcut]

Once again, thanks for the thought fodder.







(Tell me why!)......I don't like Mondays.

[mercop]

[QUOTE=R.Thompson;1115440]That's exactly what I thought, but you beat me to it.

"Hey look, we're on the invitation list"
"That's not the guest list, thats the menu"[/QUOTE

The problem is that they usually don't have an active shooter plan, it is a general emergency plan. Glad everyone found it useful.- George

[spblademaker]

Great article. I agree 100%. My only fear would be a kid running from a "locked-down" school being "mistaken" for a shooter. ERT is under the impression that the goodguys are contained in the classes. Do you see where that could go? That would be a worst-case scenerio. The whole situation would suck regardless!!

[Adam-12]

We active-shooter-proof my son by home-schooling him.

[Orion0317]

Good rundown. That is alot of good advice, to keep your situational awareness up, and notice things out of the ordinary, but that only helps you when you are in an open area like a gym or cafeteria. The two times my high school went into lockdown I was in a classroom. The first time, I told the teacher I wasn't sitting in the corner with everyone else, and he and I and another student developed a plan to deal with anyone who may have come through the door. The second time, I told the teacher not to lock the door, and we spent the whole lockdown arguing about whether or not to lock the door. She locked it anyway.

My point being this; if you are in a cafeteria, it is far, far easier to get out of that area than if you are locked in a classroom. SOP at my HS (Delone) was to have everyone get in a corner that was parallel to the door. The two times I had to go through it, I was sickened by watching 20+ teenagers cower in a corner, some of them crying, because they had no idea what to do. "Target rich" doesn't even begin to describe most high schools, even in lockdown.