Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 5: Assessing the Situation
• Method 2 of 5: Move to a Safe Location
• Method 3 of 5: Taking cover from the shooter
• Method 4 of 5: Fighting the Shooter
• Method 5 of 5: Getting Help
• Tips
• Warnings

Although the likelihood of being caught in a shootout in a public place is very low, such incidents have become more frequent lately. In a critical situation, you can easily get lost from surprise and fear. Knowing how to handle these situations will increase your chances of survival. Moreover, if necessary, you can help others.

Steps

Method 1 of 5: Assessing the Situation

1. 1 Keep calm. It is easy to panic when shooting in a public place, but try not to get emotional and keep your thoughts clear. It may seem impossible to stay calm in such an emergency, but there are certain tricks that can help you keep from panicking.
   • Concentrate on your breathing. As you inhale, count to three, then hold your breath and also count to three, then exhale for a count of three. You can (and should) do this while you are moving to a safe place - breathing control will help you prevent hyperventilation and avoid making rash decisions.
2. 2 Warn others. As soon as you realize that shooting has begun, you should immediately warn those who are near you. Some may not notice the emergency, while others may be intimidated. Inform the people around you that the shooting has begun and that everyone should get out of the area or try to hide.
3. 3 Make a plan. In an emergency, it is very important to have a concrete plan of action. Pre-training and training will help you get to a safe place, but remember to have a backup plan as well. If you are unable to implement the master plan, assess the situation and consider whether the contingency plan can be implemented.
4. 4 Get ready to run. Many people get lost in an emergency. If the shooter is nearby, it may be better to stay put and hide. However, experts believe that you should hide only if you have no way to escape. If you know where to move in order to be at a safe distance from the shooter, overcome your fear and urge to stay in place and try to escape if it is not dangerous.

Method 2 of 5: Move to a Safe Location

1. 1 Imagine your movements in your mind. It is necessary to consider the escape route and take into account the surrounding environment. If there are places along the way where the shooter may notice you or other people, keep this in mind and think about how you will act in such a case.
   • Typically, shooters pay attention to random targets. Try to be as inconspicuous as possible - think over your actions and try not to be seen by the shooter.
   • If the shooter is close to you, try to find a route that provides you with suitable camouflage (where you will not be seen by the shooter) and cover from possible bullets.
2. 2 Run if you can. If the shooter is not far from you, you need to overcome your fear, not stay still and try to move away from him as far as possible. You shouldn't stand in one place and watch what happens. Do your best to increase the distance between you and the shooter - then it will be more difficult for him to deliberately hit you, and the risk of you accidentally being hit by bullets will decrease.
   • Please note that this tactic only works if the shooter did not notice you, you got lost in the crowd or heard shots, but did not see the shooter himself.
   • Help others if you can do it without putting your life in danger.
   • Try to run away, even if others urge you to stay put. Encourage others to join you. However, if others are in doubt, don't wait for them to make a decision. It is important to get out of the danger zone as quickly as possible.
3. 3 Leave your things. Remember that your life is incomparably more important than your cell phone and other personal belongings. Don't hesitate to try to save your belongings, and if others try to take their belongings with them, tell them to drop them.
4. 4 Use every possible escape route. Take advantage of every opportunity, including emergency exits or emergency windows. Most restaurants, movie theaters, and other public places have emergency exits (such as pantries or kitchens) in case of fire or other emergencies. Look for such a way out and try to use it.
5. 5 Call emergency services. Once you are out of the high-risk area and avoid immediate danger, call 112 or 101 and call for help (if you don't have a phone, ask someone else).
   • After leaving the building, stay away from it.
   • Warn passers-by not to enter the building. Warn others about what is happening in the building you abandoned, and advise them to stay away from it.

Method 3 of 5: Taking cover from the shooter

1. 1 Find a secluded spot. Choose a place where the shooter will not see you, and where you can hide from the bullets. It's good if you can easily get out of this place if necessary, and it will be spacious enough so that you do not have to sit hunched over.
   • Don't hesitate. Try to find a place where you can hide as quickly as possible.
   • If there is no room with a lockable door nearby, try to hide behind something that covers you (such as a copier or closet).
2. 2 Do not make noise. Turn off the lights and be quiet. Be sure to turn off the beep and vibrate alert on your mobile phone. Suppress the urge to cough or sneeze, and do not talk to people who may be hiding near you.
   • Remember that you are hiding from the shooter, and try to prevent him from finding you.
   • Don't call the police. If you are in a crowded place (such as a restaurant or school), someone has probably run out of the building or heard the sound of gunfire and has already reported this to the police.
3. 3 Block the place where you are hiding. If you are in a room, lock the door or block it with something massive, such as a closet or sofa. Try to prevent the shooter from entering the room.
   • Make it difficult for the shooter to access the room - thereby you will be safer and can buy time. If you or someone else call the police, they will respond immediately. In an emergency like this, every minute counts.
4. 4 Try to sit closer to the floor. Lie face down on the floor and place your hands next to your head, but do not cover it. This will cover your internal organs. In addition, if the shooter bumps into you, he will think that you are already dead. The prone position reduces the risk of being hit by a stray bullet.
   • Stay out of the door. Instead of trying to open or break down a locked door, the attacker can start shooting at it. However, bullets can pierce the door, so it is best to stay away from it.

Method 4 of 5: Fighting the Shooter

1. 1 Fight if necessary. However, do not try to fight the shooter if you have the ability to run or hide. A fight with an attacker should be viewed as a last resort and should only be used as a last resort.
2. 2 Find something to use as a weapon. Find something you can use to hit or injure the attacker — a chair, a fire extinguisher, or a kettle of boiling water, for example. Most people don't carry weapons, so you'll have to improvise and use whatever is at hand. You can hold the selected object in front of you to hide behind it from bullets, and, on occasion, throw it at the attacker.
   • You can use scissors or an envelope opener instead of a knife. You can even use a handle as a weapon (while resting it on the base of your thumb).
   • If there is a fire extinguisher nearby, use it. You can direct a jet of foam in the face of the attacker or hit him on the head with a fire extinguisher.
3. 3 Disable the attacker. You should engage in the fight with the shooter only if absolutely necessary, when your life is in danger. If you cannot escape or hide, resist alone or with others. Try to knock the weapon out of the hands of the attacker or knock him down so that he becomes disoriented.
   • Encourage others to help you. Together, it will be easier for you to deal with the lone shooter.
4. 4 Attack. If the shooter is very close to you and you are in immediate danger, try to disarm him. In any case, it is necessary to act quickly and make every effort to knock the weapon out of the hands of the attacker and render him harmless.
   • If the attacker has a gun, grab his barrel and pull it away from you; while doing this, try to hit or kick the arrow. The shooter will most likely pull the gun towards him, and if you follow his movement, he may lose his balance and fall to the floor. If you manage to get hold of the butt of the gun, you can hit and push the attacker with it.
   • If the shooter has a pistol, try to grab him from above by the barrel so that the attacker cannot point the pistol at you. Many models of pistols cannot be fired again if they are firmly squeezed from above: the existing charge WILL BE RELEASED, but for the next one you will need to manually distort the bolt.
   • When trying to knock the shooter off his feet, aim for the upper body. The hands and weapons of the attacker pose the greatest danger. You can also hit in the eyes, face, shoulders or neck.
5. 5 Do not hesitate. Even if you are terrified at the sight of a shooter pointing his assault rifle at you, focus on the barrel of the rifle and try to rip it out of the attacker's grasp and knock him to the ground. Taking quick and courageous actions can save your life and the lives of others.
   • Fortunately, in an extreme situation, your body will trigger a fight-or-flight response, which will help you fight for your life.

Method 5 of 5: Getting Help

1. 1 Keep calm. If you managed to escape, try to breathe deeply. It is possible that you are in a state of panic and experiencing shock or injury - try to breathe deeply to pull yourself together and calm down.
   • When you catch your breath and are able to speak, call relatives and loved ones and tell them that you are okay.
2. 2 Keep your hands in plain sight at all times. The police seek to neutralize the shooter, so when leaving a building or other public place, raise your hands, palms forward, so that the police can see that you have no weapons. In such situations, the police are wary of everyone who comes out, since the attacker may pretend to be an innocent victim and try to slip away with others.
3. 3 Don't point or shout at anything. In the event of shooting in a public place, the police follow their own instructions. Let the police do their job by themselves and do not interfere in their actions, especially since you have not yet recovered from the shock. Don't stop the police from neutralizing the criminal.
4. 4 Be aware that the injured will receive medical attention. The task of the police is to find and neutralize the criminal. Until the shooter is neutralized, the police will not provide assistance to the wounded, but do not worry - ambulance teams must arrive at the scene to take care of all the victims.
   • If you are hurt, try to slow your breathing. This will help prevent shock and reduce bleeding. Cover the wound with your palms or clothing and apply pressure to stop bleeding until medical attention arrives.

Tips

• Learn more about how to behave when shooting in a public place. For example, in schools they talk about this in life safety lessons.
• Please note that in such situations, shooting is usually conducted at random targets. Moreover, events can develop very quickly and unpredictably. Try to hide and be as inconspicuous as possible.
• Remember that the police react very quickly to shooting in a public place. In most cases, shooting in public places lasts no more than 10-15 minutes.

Warnings

• Don't let panic or despair hold you down. According to experts, living in situations like this often depends on a quick reaction within the first five seconds.
• Don't show unnecessary heroism. The fight against the criminal should be entered only in case of emergency, when there is no way to escape or hide.