The City of Houston, Texas, with funds from Homeland Security, produced a video informing citizens of what they should do if caught up in one of these rampage shootings. Additionally, they stated:
•Run if a safe path is available. Always try and escape or evacuate even if others insist on staying.
•Encourage others to leave with you but don’t let the indecision of others slow down your own effort to escape.
•Once you are out of the line of fire, try to prevent others from walking into the danger zone and call 9-1-1.
•If you can’t get out safely, find a place to hide.
•When hiding, turn out lights, remember to lock doors and silence your ringer and vibration mode on your cell phone.
•As a last resort, working together or alone, act with aggression, use improvised weapons and fight.
The only thing I really have an issue with is the word “improvised” in the last sentence. Why do we need improvised weapons, when what we really should have is a firearm? The best defense against a rampage shooter is your own gun and will/skill to use it. That’s the only effective defense.
Notice at the one minute mark of the video, as the gunman enters the facility, there is a notice banning firearms from that facility. I guess this bad guy just can’t read and doesn’t understand that he isn’t supposed to bring guns inside. Obviously it doesn’t stop him from coming through the door and killing people. I do recognize that some people do work in an environment where they cannot carry a gun. In that situation, do the best you can. Additionally, I would rather live through a rampage shooting because I had a gun somewhere it wasn’t allowed, than die because I was unarmed. Sure, you might lose your job, but you can always find another job. Just keep it hidden and don’t mention it to anyone. I also recognize that some people work in facilities where you pass through a metal detector and cannot sneak in a self defense weapon. In that case, you’ll just have to do the best you can… But carry a gun everyone else. More and more these events happen in public places where you should be armed.
We cannot stop rampage shootings from happening, but we can lessen the lives lost by having our own guns and simply shooting the attacker. We are living in a very violent age and depending on someone else for your protection is simply naive.
