PREVENTING AND SURVIVING AN ACTIVE SHOOTING INCIDENT
A Pocket Guide of Tactical Tips to Protect Yourself
Lisa Reinke
Copyright 2020 by Lisa Reinke - All rights reserved.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
D espite wide-scale awareness campaigns about the dangers of firearms, gun violence remains a huge problem. In 2019, the number of gun-caused deaths in the United States was 15,208. As of September 2020, this number has skyrocketed to 28,838. Not only is this increase incredibly worrisome, but it opens up the debate about gun control regulations. Since discussing these regulations will certainly take time, we should now focus on preventing active shooting incidents. It goes without saying that these traumatic events do not only lead to fatalities, but they also entail great financial losses for some institutions that may take months to get their operations back to normal.
Active shootings are especially prevalent in schools and workplaces. While no one is 100% sure about the causes behind them, we have enough data that will help us prevent these shootings from happening ever again. Prevention is all about knowing the warning signs. In this book, you will learn how to spot a would-be shooter, how to deal with this knowledge, and how to come up with a solid plan to prevent such accidents if you are a business owner or work in an educational institution. The Run, Hide, Fight strategy is also thoroughly explained to help you get out of danger if you ever find yourself in the location of an active shooting. Finally, the last section covers the steps victims can take to recover from witnessing a shooting incident.
Motives
D ue to misconceptions perpetuated by the media, many people believe that active shootings are the work of either "unhinged" or mentally ill individuals. Others think that mass shootings happen out of nowhere because the assailants suddenly snapped. Contrary to popular beliefs, there is always a solid reason behind these incidents, even if it cannot be easily spotted. Because knowledge is power, finding out the potential motives of active shooters can help you spot warning signs and take necessary action before disaster strikes. In this chapter, you will learn some of the possible causes of these fatal events, which will help you decide the best course of action when you find yourself in such situations.
Mental Illness
Although the stigma surrounding mental illness is horribly unjustified, we cannot discredit the fact that a small percentage of shooters are psychologically and mentally distressed. In most cases, these disorders are discovered after the fact, which begs the question: Could early discovery and proper care prevent these incidents from taking place? Currently, there are too little data about potential shooters that had received treatment before attempting to conduct an armed attack. However, the statistics we have suggest that only 25% of attackers in the period spanning from 2000 to 2013 were undergoing treatment or were at least aware of their condition before they decided to plan a shooting. Medications also play a significant role in altering the judgment of mentally ill patients. This is not to say that most active shooters are not at all in control of their mental faculties, but they still might not be fully capable of rational thinking and may reach unrealistic conclusions due to their conditions. For example, if left untreated, schizophrenia can cause individuals to become overly paranoid or hallucinate with voices that encourage them to be aggressive.
Child Abuse
There appears to be a strong link between child abuse and active shooting incidents. While not all abused children grow up to be mass shooters, the violence inflicted on them in their early years may leave wounds that fester with time. It goes without saying that not all victims of abuse seek out help after they extract themselves from their violent environments. Only after years of struggling can violent tendencies begin to develop. Adults who were abused as children do not suddenly "snap" as mentioned, but it is usually the accumulation of bottled up emotions and repressed traumas that direct their motivations and thought process. As such, they might end up lashing out on their abusers or anyone who gets in their way.
Bullying
School shootings in the United States have been increasing at an alarming rate ever since the infamous Columbine school shooting in 1999. From then on, experts and regular citizens alike have been grappling with the reality of mass shootings conducted by children, specifically teenagers. It is hard to believe that people that young could do something as barbarous as killing their own classmates and teachers whom they see and interact with every day. Despite the consensus that school administrations are now exerting more efforts to eliminate bullying, these endeavors are still not conclusive enough due to unreported incidents. Bullying is one of the main culprits behind school shootings, and while this topic has been extensively covered by the cinema industry and countless awareness campaigns, bullying is still rampant among students, especially in middle and high schools.
Relationship Problems
