HOUSTON – It is an absolutely terrifying scenario.
An active shooter bursts into your church and starts firing into the crowd.
What do you do to protect yourself and your family and hopefully come out of this alive?
On Sunday, the Houston community found itself discussing another shooting after a woman entered the Lakewood Church, armed with an AR-15 rifle.
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Alongside her was her 7-year-old son who was struck by a bullet during the exchange of gunfire between her and officers. At last check, he was in critical condition.
So, if you were in worship, at the mall, or in a classroom and found yourself in an active shooter situation, would you know what to do?
KPRC 2 Investigates Bill Spencer spoke with an expert who shared a few tips that may make the difference between life and death.
Jim Napolitano is former U.S. Secret Service Agent who has protected 4 different presidents and he knows what he’s talking about.
“The worst possible thing you can do is nothing,” says Napolitano.
Scenario One: The shooter enters a restaurant or nightclub
The first rule, don’t hide under a table.
“A lot of times people’s first instinct is to go hide under a table or a chair, well that doesn’t get you away from the shooter … it just gives the shooter a perfectly still, trapped, target to fire at,” Napolitano says.
Instead, Jim says the key is to move quickly.
Run as fast as you can to the nearest exit, zig-zagging as you run to make yourself harder to hit.
Napolitano says it is important to run behind any cover you see, but keep running until you are well clear of the shooter.
If you are outside, you need to use the natural cover of the street.
Run behind cars, trucks, signs, buildings, anything that can provide safe cover and put a barrier between you and the gunmen.
Napolitano says whatever you do, just hitting the floor and sitting or lying there is the worst thing you can do for your safety, you are then just waiting to be shot.
Know what to do in an #activeshooter event. Be prepared mentally and physically #RunHideFight #AvoidDenyDefend pic.twitter.com/AajeqIHOuH
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) June 14, 2016
Scenario No. 2: The shooter enters a church or a movie theater
A gunman enters the theater you are in and begins firing.
Rule No. 1: Don’t stand up or just sit still in your seat because, again, you make yourself a target.
“What we want to do is use the concealment of the theater seats, as well as the natural darkness of the room, to get down on the ground and crawl out of there as quickly as possible,” Napolitano said.
He said remember to immediately hit the floor and crawl on your hands and knees to the nearest exit.
Scenario No. 3: The shooter enters a store or mall
You’re out shopping, at a mall, a strip center or out in the middle of town.
Here you are fully exposed to everything. You are out walking and suddenly a gunman starts shooting at you and your family.
If you simply turn and run in the opposite direction you can get yourself killed quickly.
Why? Because you’ve put yourself directly in the shooter's line of sight. All he has to do is aim at you and shoot you in the back as you run.
Rule No. 1: Run, but head to something you can hide behind, or inside or hide on top of so you are no longer in the gunman’s sights.
“In a shopping area, the key is to find cover. There are cars out there, display stands, shops to duck inside. The point is there are things for you to use to create a barrier between you and the gunman. Find them and run to them immediately,” Napolitano said.
Napolitano said the key is to always put something big between you and the active shooter. That makes you a very difficult object to hit and will drive the shooter to simply aim at another, easier target.
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