How to Survive an Active Shooter Event: What to Do Before, During and After

Several years ago, I had a former student reach out to me to share an experience she had. She was at a local shopping mall and started to feel uncertain and uncomfortable. Remembering our training about situational awareness, she chose to pay attention to her intuition and head out to her car.

It wasn’t long after my student decided to leave when a fight broke out on the upper level, a few stores away from where she’d just been. Shots were fired, wounding two innocent bystanders and killing another.

Unfortunately, I heard another story about a month later about a friend’s daughter who was in the same area when the shooting began. She did not pick up on any warning signs. When the fight escalated, she was shuffled into a nearby restroom by a well-meaning store employee along with several other shoppers.

In the restroom with no weapons and with only one way in and one way out, this young woman felt panicked and frightened. She felt trapped. Thankfully, no harm came to those shoppers. But the incident haunted the young woman for quite some time. She didn’t want to ever again feel like she had no options to protect herself.

Those two experiences illustrate an important truth: Active-threat events are unpredictable. While preparation cannot guarantee a particular outcome, it can help you recognize danger sooner, identify more options and make decisions more quickly.

Most people have heard the phrase “Run, Hide, Fight” from the Department of Homeland Security. It provides a helpful framework for responding when an attack begins, but true preparedness starts much earlier. It includes knowing your surroundings, planning for the people with you, understanding what protection is available and learning what to do when law enforcement and emergency medical personnel arrive.

What Is an Active Shooter Event?

The FBI defines an active shooter as one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. These attacks are dynamic, unpredictable and often evolve quickly. You may not immediately know where the attacker is, whether more than one person is involved or which route offers the safest way out.

That uncertainty is one reason advance preparation matters. You probably will not have all the information you would like before making a decision. Sometimes only sounds, sudden movement or a feeling that something is seriously wrong may be your warning.

Your goal in a mass shooting situation is to recognize the danger, protect yourself and the people in your care, and choose the safest available response.

Prepare Before an Emergency

Preparedness should not make you afraid to attend church, shop at a mall, go to a concert or enjoy time with your family. It should help you feel more capable of responding if an emergency occurs.

Start by building a simple habit: When you enter a public place, notice how you got in and identify at least one other way out. The entrance used by the crowd is not necessarily the exit you will want during an emergency. Look for marked emergency exits, side doors, stairways and other routes that could lead away from danger.

Also notice the physical environment. Where could you find real protection? Do any rooms have locking doors? What heavy furniture might help block an entrance? Is there an exterior room with a window that could provide another escape option?

This does not require an elaborate inspection every time you go out. It may take only a few moments. But those few moments can give you a starting point if everyone around you suddenly begins running or if the route you planned to use becomes blocked.

Preparation also means thinking about the people with you. A parent responsible for young children may have different options than someone attending an event alone. An older relative, an injured friend or a person with limited mobility may need help moving. Talk about where you would meet if separated and how you would communicate if phone service becomes overloaded or unavailable.

Effective active-assailant preparedness involves three broad ideas: prevention, preparation and practice. People and organizations should recognize concerning behavior, develop realistic plans and occasionally rehearse those plans instead of assuming everyone will know what to do under stress.

Know the Difference Between Cover and Concealment

Cover and concealment are not the same.

Concealment hides you from view. Cover may also provide some protection from gunfire. A curtain, interior partition or ordinary piece of furniture might conceal your location without reliably stopping bullets. A substantial concrete wall, structural pillar or the engine area of a vehicle offer better protection.

The distinction matters whether you are moving or hiding. Concealment can still be useful, especially if it prevents an attacker from locating you, but cover is preferable when available.

Learn Trauma First Aid

Preparedness should include more than defensive skills. Anyone may be called upon to help an injured family member, friend or stranger after the immediate danger has passed.

Consider taking CPR, first-aid and severe-bleeding-control training. Carrying a trauma kit with a tourniquet, pressure dressing, chest seal, medical tape and emergency blanket can also be helpful, but only once you know how to use what is inside it. Equipment is not a substitute for hands-on instruction.

Recognize Danger and Act

People do not always recognize gunfire immediately. Indoors, shots may echo or sound unlike what someone expects. Loud noises may be dismissed as fireworks, construction or something falling. Even after seeing signs of danger, a person may hesitate because the situation feels too extraordinary to be real.

This reaction is sometimes described as normalcy bias. The mind attempts to fit an alarming event into a familiar explanation. Unfortunately, time spent searching for a harmless explanation may delay escape.

That does not mean every loud noise requires panic. It means you should pay attention to the complete picture. Are people suddenly running? Do you see smoke, broken glass or security personnel reacting? Did someone issue an emergency warning? Does the sound repeat in a way that suggests gunfire?

Trust your senses and your intuition. If something seems wrong, you do not need permission to leave. It is far better to step outside unnecessarily than to remain because you are worried about appearing impolite or overreacting.

Run When You Can Escape Safely

When a safe escape route is available, leaving the area is usually the best option. The FBI advises people to have an escape route in mind, leave belongings behind, help others escape when possible and call 911 after reaching safety.

Move in a direction away from the known or suspected location of the attacker. Do not stop to retrieve a purse, shopping bag, coat or phone charger. Personal belongings can be replaced. Time cannot.

Encourage the people around you to come, but do not allow someone else’s hesitation to trap you. There may be moments when you must leave despite another person’s refusal to move.

Keep evaluating the situation as you go. The route that looked safe a few seconds earlier may become blocked. Crowds may funnel toward the most obvious exit, causing congestion. Look for alternate doors, stairways or other ways out rather than automatically following the largest group.

Continue moving. Merely stepping outside a room or building may not be enough. Create as much distance as circumstances.

Once you are safe, call 911 if authorities have not already been notified. Give the dispatcher the location, what you saw and any information you have about the attacker. Do not return to the area.

Hide When Escape Is Not Possible

If you cannot safely escape, find a place where the attacker is less likely to see or reach you.

A good hiding location should provide more than temporary concealment when possible. Look for a room with a substantial door that locks. Move out of the direct line of sight from windows in or beside the door. Turn off lights, silence phones and smartwatches — including vibration — and remain quiet.

If the door does not lock, use heavy furniture to barricade it. Desks, tables, filing cabinets or other substantial objects may delay entry and create time for police to arrive or for another escape opportunity to appear.

Do not cluster directly in front of the door. Move away from the entrance and position yourself where you are less visible. Continue listening and looking for changes that might allow you to escape.

When choosing between possible locations, consider whether a potential hiding place allows you to observe approaching danger, offers some means of defense and provides an escape route if circumstances change.

A hiding place that offers none of those options may become a trap. Though you won’t always have time to find an ideal room, knowing what to look for beforehand can help you make a better decision under pressure.

Remain in place until identifiable law enforcement officers direct you to leave or until remaining becomes more dangerous than moving.

Fight Only as a Last Resort

Fighting is the last option, reserved for circumstances in which escape is unavailable, your hiding place has been breached and your life or the lives of others are in imminent danger.

This is not a moment for complicated techniques or an unrealistic plan. If you are forced to defend yourself, you must act decisively. Use any available objects, create a distraction or work with others to resist the attacker. Hesitation can give the attacker more time and control.

At the same time, do not allow the “fight” in Run-Hide-Fight to overshadow the preferred outcomes. Escaping safely is better than confronting an attacker. Preventing access to your hiding location is better than being forced into a physical fight.

The purpose is survival, not pursuit.

What Legally Armed Citizens Should Consider

A concealed carry permit or legally carried firearm does not make you a police officer, and it does not create a responsibility to search for the attacker.

Your first priority remains protecting yourself and those in your care. If you can safely escape, escape. If you can secure a safe location, do so. Moving through an unfamiliar building with a firearm in your hand can expose you to the attacker or mislead responding police officers.

What to Do When Law Enforcement Arrives

Should circumstances force you to use a firearm to stop an imminent deadly threat, follow all commands from responding officers immediately and avoid any movement that could appear threatening.

An armed citizen can face a serious identification problem. Officers arriving at a chaotic scene may only know that a person with a gun has been reported.

Remain calm. Drop anything in your hands, including bags, jackets or phones. Raise your empty hands, spread your fingers and keep your hands visible.

Do not run toward officers, grab them, point or make sudden movements. Even when you are frightened and desperate for help, movements that seem harmless to you may appear threatening to someone entering an uncertain scene.

If an officer or 911 dispatcher asks for information, be as clear and brief as possible. Helpful details may include the attacker’s location, direction of travel, physical description, clothing, weapons and whether you saw more than one attacker.

After You Reach Safety

Help Injured People

The instinct to help an injured person can be powerful, but do not move toward someone while the attacker remains active or the area is otherwise unsafe. Becoming another casualty will not help the injured person.

Once you have reached relative safety, check yourself first. Adrenaline can mask pain, and you may not immediately realize you have been injured. Look for bleeding, torn clothing or unexplained pain before turning your attention to others.

Call 911 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. If you are trained and conditions allow, address life-threatening bleeding with direct pressure or an appropriate tourniquet. Keep the injured person warm while waiting for emergency medical personnel.

Do not use unfamiliar tools or attempt a procedure you do not understand. Basic, well-practiced actions are more valuable than complicated improvisation under pressure.

Be a Good Witness

Your first job is to survive. Do not remain in danger simply to get a better look at the attacker or gather information for police.

If you do see something useful while escaping, hiding or waiting for officers, try to remember the most important details. Those may include the number of attackers, direction of travel, clothing, physical characteristics or weapons.

Avoid focusing too heavily on exact estimates. Under stress, people often misjudge height, age, distance and time. Comparisons may be more reliable. Was the person taller or shorter than a nearby doorway? Did the attacker wear a distinctive jacket, hat or pair of shoes? Was there a visible tattoo, limp, accent or unusual manner of speaking?

Listen as well as look. Words, names, threats and other statements may help investigators understand what happened.

As soon as it is safe and authorities permit it, consider writing down what you remember. Stress can distort memory, and small details may fade quickly.

When speaking with police, it is acceptable to say, “I don’t know” or “I’m not certain.” Accurate limited information is more useful than a confident guess.

Speaking to Law Enforcement

Reaching safety does not always mean you can immediately leave. The FBI advises that survivors may be held in a secure area until officers have identified and questioned witnesses. Do not leave until authorities tell you that you may do so.

Cooperate with investigators and provide the facts you personally observed. Preserve photos, videos, messages or other potentially relevant information but avoid posting unverified information on social media. Early accounts are frequently incomplete, and speculation can confuse families, interfere with investigations and spread inaccurate claims.

Contact your loved ones when it is safe and permitted, but keep communications brief if phone networks are overloaded. A simple message that you are safe and where you have been directed may be enough.

Build Your Personal Emergency Plan

According to an FBI study from 2014, 69% of active threat events end in five minutes or less, and 67% are over before the first police arrive. You cannot develop a perfect plan for an unpredictable attack. You can, however, build habits that give you more options.

Whenever you enter a public space, quietly identify a primary and alternate exit. Notice possible cover and rooms that could be secured.

Discuss emergency communication with your family. Teach children how to follow instructions, move quickly and identify trusted law enforcement officers or other responders.

Take first-aid training and build a trauma kit around the skills you actually possess. Review your plan from time to time and update it as your family’s needs change.

Most importantly, give yourself permission to act when something feels wrong. You do not need absolute certainty to leave a building, move away from a suspicious situation or choose a different route.

Run, Hide, Fight remains a useful emergency framework. But survival planning is more than three words. It begins with awareness, preparation and a willingness to make a decision before circumstances make the decision for you.

This article is a compilation of previous blog posts and Concealed Carry Magazine articles authored by Beth Alcazar, Ed Combs, Stephen DiLeo, K.L. Jamison, Dave Young and Schuyler P. Robertson.

Active Shooter Survival FAQs

What should you do first during an active-shooter event?
Quickly assess whether a safe escape route is available. If you can escape, move away from the attacker, leave belongings behind and call 911 when safe. If escape is not possible, secure a hiding location. Fight only as a last resort when your life is in imminent danger.

Should you always run before hiding or fighting?
No. Run, Hide and Fight are options based on the circumstances, not necessarily three steps that must be completed in order. Escape is generally preferred when a safe route exists, but you may need to hide immediately if the attacker blocks your exit.

What is the difference between cover and concealment?
Concealment hides you from the attacker’s view. Cover may also provide some protection from bullets. A substantial concrete wall may offer cover, while an ordinary interior partition may provide only concealment.

What should a concealed carrier do during an active-shooter event?
Prioritize escape and the protection of loved ones. Carrying a firearm does not mean you should pursue an attacker. Remember that responding officers may not know who the attacker is, so follow commands immediately and keep empty hands visible when evacuating.

What should you do when police arrive?
Remain calm, drop items in your hands, raise your hands with fingers spread and follow instructions immediately. Avoid sudden movements, pointing, yelling or running toward officers.

Should you help injured people?
Help only when doing so will not place you in continuing danger. Call 911, check yourself for injuries and provide first aid only within your training.

What information should you give police?
Share what you personally observed, including the attacker’s location, direction of travel, description, clothing, weapons and whether more than one attacker was present. Do not guess when you are uncertain.