How to Survive a School or Office Shooting
Nobody thinks it’s going to happen to them – until it does. Be prepared to survive a shooting rampage, just in case.
Up next in Disaster Survival & Worst-Case Scenarios (30 videos)
Learn how to live through anything life throws at you with these survival videos.
You Will Need
- A cool head
- Quick reflexes
- A little luck
Steps
-
Step 1
Run
Run first; ask questions later. Don’t miss your opportunity to escape by wasting time debating whether that noise was really a gunshot.
-
If you’re running from a shooter, run in a zigzag pattern. He’ll have a harder time hitting you, and the odds are even lower he’ll hit a major organ or artery.
-
Step 2
Barricade the door
If you’re trapped in a building with a shooter, lock yourself in a room and barricade the door with heavy furniture. The predator is likely to move on to more accessible victims.
-
Step 3
Find a weapon
Find some sort of weapon – a pair of scissors, a letter opener, hot coffee, a stapler, a fire extinguisher. Even if you don’t injure the attacker, you may be able to distract him or throw him off balance.
-
Step 4
Take cover
Take cover behind something sturdy, like a file cabinet or a metal desk.
-
Don’t make eye contact with or speak to the shooter. But if he talks to you, respond with an absurd question in the hopes of throwing him off guard.
-
Step 5
Listen for reloading
Listen for the 'click' that indicates his revolver is out of bullets, or the metallic clang that means the empty cartridge of his automatic pistol has fallen to the floor. He’ll have to pause to reload, giving you and others a chance to tackle him or escape.
-
Step 6
Slow bleeding
If you do get shot, slow the bleeding by keeping direct pressure on the wound.
-
If you think you might pass out from blood loss, place a hard object under your body, just above the wound, and lay on top of it. That way, if you do lose consciousness, your body weight will keep pressure on the wound.
-
Step 7
Fight back
If you find yourself unable to avoid a life-or-death struggle with the shooter, go for his most vulnerable areas: gouge his eyes with your index and middle fingers; jab his Adam’s apple; or knee him in the groin.
-
Step 8
Report odd behavior
Help prevent shooting rampages in the first place by reporting any odd behavior or threats to someone in authority.
-
Homicide is the second leading cause of death on the job, after motor vehicle accidents.
