Expert: How to protect kids, survive a school shooting

Unfortunately, this topic is very real and disconcerting.  I recently read the following response to a shooting in New Mexico and found it informative:

Lopez broke the guidance down into practical steps that can increase your chance of survival and mitigate the loss of life in a shooting scenario.

1. Run

This is the first option, and your best choice if possible, Lopez said.

Put distance between yourself and the shooter. Take cover. Notify others about the danger.

Most gunmen aren’t experienced at shooting moving targets, Lopez pointed out. Run in a zig-zag pattern rather than a straight line to make yourself a harder target.

How this played out in New Mexico: The custodian ran. He put distance between himself and the shooter. He also notified teachers to initiate a lockdown to protect students, faculty and staff.

2. Hide

If you can’t run, hiding is your second option, Lopez said. Find a place to shelter. Harden your shelter, e.g., lock the door, barricade it with furniture, use a doorstop, etc.

How this played out in New Mexico: The substitute teacher didn’t have a key to lock the classroom door, so she had to move to “Plan B” – barricading an office door with available furniture. She did so quickly – and no one in her classroom room was injured during the shooting.

3. Fight

If your life is on the line and you’re within lunging distance, fighting back is your best chance to survive, statistically speaking, Lopez said.

Things didn’t progress to fighting in New Mexico. But if an unarmed person’s life is on the line, how can he or she fight off someone with a gun?

If you’re in a position where you have to fight an armed person, remember that action is faster than reaction, Lopez stressed. Making the first move quickly can be the difference in whether you survive.

All weapons have two ends: the “grip” and the “muzzle,” Lopez explained. He advises these steps in a life-threatening situation:

• Lunge quickly and grab the grip end of the gun.
• Wrap your hand around the “action” – e.g., the cylinder on a revolver, the pump action on a semiautomatic. In most cases, this will limit the gun to only one shot.
• Pull the weapon to your core, turning the muzzle away from you.
• Use gravity to make yourself deadweight. Slump to the ground to disarm the gunman.