I am not an expert. I am just a firearms instructor, and a student of self-defense with firearms. I am retired military, with some civilian and military law enforcement experience. I have no “real job” anymore; some of my free time is shared between researching, participating in professional development for being a firearms instructor, and training gun owners in practical application and CCW. Almost everything I say I did not come up with myself; it is gleaned and aggregated from the many books, training courses, experiences, and from the musings of uniquely qualified people I respect and consider mentors. Nothing is “new”, most is not politically correct because my “purpose” is that you stay alive and out of prison, NOT that snowflakes embrace you as the new messiah. Further, you should have knowledge of the laws in YOUR area.
My motto is –
“Your survival takes precedence over any law, everything can be explained IF you are still alive.”
-Jeff Sanders, Legacy Defense, Blanket Texas
"The active shooter has already given you license to do anything you wish,
based on HIS own initiative."
-Gabe Suarez, from his book Killing the Active Shooter.
The Primacy of Survival
First, before delving into this subject, you need to get your mind right. I assume that you are reading this because you are aware of the reality of the times we live in, and don’t want you or your family to die. I will speak to you within that framework. Your survival takes precedence over any law! Everything can be explained if you are still alive. While digesting the following quote, substitute “Predator Mindset”, for “Survival mindset”, and “Combat hunter mindset”, survival is not enough, YOU must WIN. The references to condition colors can be learned from my CCW classes, online searches may or may not resemble what I would teach.
"A person that has stood a post against evil (be it the police officer, soldier, or parent defending their home) and was forced to take a life is acting within the will of GOD! Therefore, they don’t need to be forgiven by some pompous, intellectually challenged, politically squeamish windbag. "
– Gabe Suarez, from his book The Combative Perspective
Embracing the Survival Mindset
The FBI suggests that one way to survive workplace violence is having a “survival mindset.” This means being aware, prepared, and having rehearsed the actions you will take during a workplace violence incident. Those who prepare and train themselves for the possibility of violence will react differently than those who do not. Those who are not prepared will likely panic and will ultimately become helpless (Condition Black). Those who are prepared will still experience anxiety but will be more likely to maintain awareness and act effectively in a stressful situation (possibly going as far as Condition Red). Rather than a “survival mindset,” we recommend that you have a “combat hunter” mindset. The first element of this mindset is maintaining a Condition Yellow awareness level. It means maintaining your situational awareness.
Van Horne, Patrick; Riley, Jason. Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps' Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life (p. 189). Black Irish Entertainment LLC. Kindle Edition.
Self Defense or Murder?
Murder = “Their job” – Willful, non-negligent killing of one human being by another.
Self Defense = “Your job” – Stopping the threat is the ONLY thing justifying shooting another human being and removes it from the realm of murder. If I do not act, will someone die or be seriously injured? If the answer is yes, STOP the threat.
Active threat events are attempted mass murder events, the purpose is killing as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time.
- 37% Last less than 5 minutes
- 43% of the time it is over before the police arrive
Locations of Attacks:
- Around 51% in the workplace
- Around 17% in a school
- Around 17% in a public place
- Around 6% in a religious establishment
John Nicolette, PhD 2012
"As of now, when active shootings in progress have been stopped by police intervention, 70% of the events have been halted by a single officer (person)”. Dr. Mike Clumpner – Force science Institute
The Shooter (Killer):
- No Profile, may be misguided teens or a member of a terrorist group, or both…
- Violent crime is committed by males and females of all age groups, races, religions, and occupations.
- Avenger Mindset: They think they are right
- Usually have mental issues and are unpredictable
- Some shooters broadcast what they plan on doing: like they make videos about it, post it on social media and so on.
- 9 out of 10 are suicidal, THIS is their end and they know it, they don’t have an exit strategy, high probability they will take their own life when faced with any SERIOUS resistance.
- Contain and negotiate tactics DON’T WORK, tactical intervention is REQUIRED
Shooter Connections:
55% of the time, the shooter has a connection to the place where he does his crime.
Number of deaths:
The “goal” is mass casualties, not confrontation.
It depends on how quickly the police arrive to the scene, (or better yet, someone ON scene acts) target availability, etc. The average response time nationwide is 10 minutes from when the 1st call goes out.
In rural areas… I have had a student involved in a home invasion where the deputies (through no fault of their own) took over 2 hours to arrive! TAG, YOU ARE IT! You are the “tip of the spear”, YOU are the “first responder”…
A much better solution is a properly trained individual, already there, with the correct mindset that quickly and safely eliminates the threat.
Look for Active Threat Events part 2 …
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