1.The best way is to be somewhere else when the shootin’ starts. If
you can see some conflict is getting out of control and fear gun play
is next, scram! Get out of there and go somewhere else.
2.Avoid going places where gunfire is/has been frequent or is expected to be.
3.If you hear gunfire drop to the ground, stay low and seek cover.
Cover is something that stops bullets. Things that hide you from view
but don’t stop bullets are called concealment. Don’t assume parts of
building are cover as they may only be facades that emulate something
solid (i.e. decorative columns). Don’t dawdle. Move!
4.As soon as you find cover, look around for better cover and/or an
escape route that offers cover along the way. Identify the source or
direction of the gunfire and move away from it if you can. Laterally
is best (i.e. down a side street) or getting inside a concrete
building (then look for a rear exit).
5.Vehicles are not entirely cover. To a bullet they’re mostly empty
space interrupted by easily penetrated thin barriers. If you take
cover behind a vehicle, put the engine between you and the source of
gunfire and position yourself behind a wheel & tire. If you can’t hide
behind the engine, awheel & tire offer fairly good protection if you
can scrunch down enough.
6.Beware of ricochets. Bullets do not “bounce”off walls like a
billiard ball rebounding off a cushion or a basketball thrown at a
wall. When bullets strike a hard surface they will deform slightly and
stay that way. The result is the bullet tends to travel parallel along
the hard surface between 5–18? away from it, in the general direction
it was fired. For instance, if you hide behind a car across the street
and I can see your feet, I can aim at the pavement between me and the
car, ricochet the bullet off the pavement, under the car into your
feet or ankles. If you just barely peek around the corner of a sturdy
building and a bullet strikes the wall feet away from you, it could
still hit your head. Worst place to look around the corner is at
sidewalk level since a hit on either the wall or sidewalk could still
hit you. Kneeling and leaning down a few inches is probably best but
still has some risk.
7.Stay alert and keep your head & eyes moving. Your head needs to be
on a swivel. Don’t just look, but see things. Watch for accomplices or
opponents of the shooter. A man walking calmly when there is gunfire
may be either. That abandoned backpack/daypack on the street or
sidewalk may have been dropped by someone who panicked. Or it could be
an explosive device left by the shooter. Distance is your friend.
8.If you’re still nearby the shooter and police arrive cover is
critical. More bullets may be flying. A lot more. Like the soldiers
say, “get small” to avoid getting hit as best you can.
9.Don’t give up. Even if you’re stuck by a bullet, don’t give up.
Refuse to stop trying to get to safety. If necessary, get angry at the
shooter. Think of leaving the scene as a way to show him you are in
control, not him.
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