Active shooter

1. Active Shooter

An active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. In most cases, active shooters use firearms and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. The situation is unpredictable and evolves quickly, often requiring immediate law enforcement intervention to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims.

Characteristics

Active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene. For this reason, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation. Characteristics of an active shooter incident include:

• The shooter’s objective is to kill as many people as possible.
• The event is usually over quickly, often within minutes.
• The shooter may have no connection to the victims or the location.
• The shooter may continue to move throughout a building or area until stopped by law enforcement, suicide, or other intervention.

Response Strategies

The response to an active shooter situation can vary depending on the circumstances, but general strategies include:

• Run: If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Be sure to have an escape route and plan in mind.
• Hide: If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the shooter is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should be out of the shooter's view and provide protection if shots are fired in your direction.
• Fight: As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the shooter by acting as aggressively as possible against them.

Law Enforcement Response

Law enforcement’s immediate purpose is to stop the active shooter as soon as possible. Officers will proceed directly to the area where the last shots were heard. The first officers to arrive at the scene will not stop to help injured persons. Expect rescue teams comprised of additional officers and emergency medical personnel to follow the initial officers.

Prevention and Preparedness

Organizations can take steps to prepare for and prevent active shooter situations by:

• Developing an emergency action plan.
• Conducting training exercises with local law enforcement.
• Encouraging a culture of awareness and reporting of suspicious behavior.

Also see

• Mass shooting
• Gun violence
• Emergency management
• Crisis intervention