What would you do? Increasing your odds of surviving a mass shooting

In the unlikely event that you ever find yourself in the middle of an active shooter situation, there are certain things that you can do to increase your chances of survival.

Recently, TheBugOutBagGuide.com reached out to Robert Richardson, an experienced prepper that has written about how to survive mass shootings on his website Off Grid Survival multiple times in the past. Robert was able to provide a significant amount of tips and strategies that you can use if, God forbid, you ever find yourself in a life threatening situation with an active shooter.

When asked what a person can do to prepare themselves for a mass shooting, Richardson said, “The number one thing a person can do is realize that the danger is real; this alone already puts you ten steps ahead of the rest of the public, because at the very least you will start to become a little bit more aware of your surroundings and the possible dangers that exist.” Richardson went on to say that the very first thing that he does whenever he enters a place that he’s never been in before is scan the area to identify his exit points. While he acknowledges that some may call him paranoid, he explained that always having an exit strategy “can save you not only during mass shootings but also during threats like earthquakes or fires.”

Of course, if you ever find yourself under attack by an active shooter, then you may be forced to decide on the spot whether you should try to escape or fight back. Although Richardson acknowledges that you must be prepared to fight back as a last resort, “you always want to make escape your number one priority.” He reminds his readers that there’s a very big difference between the movies and a real active shooter scenario – in the movies, the hero can potentially get hit with three or four bullets and still be on the move, but in real life, it only takes one to end it all. Creating distance between yourself and the shooter should be your top priority. (Related: Every single mass shooting over the last 20 years has one thing in common, and it has nothing to do with firearms.)

In the interview, Richardson was asked whether people in active shooter situations should hunker down and wait for an opportunity, or make a run for it the second they hear bullets start firing. Richardson said that there are really too many factors to be able to give a one-size-fits-all answer, and that it’s unfortunately something that you’ll have to decide on at the moment. Notably, however, Richardson explained that he doesn’t like how schools and businesses instruct students or employees to shelter in place in the event of a mass shooting, because such a move is “almost always a death sentence.” (Related: Is playing dead a realistic survival tactic? Here is a look at three different scenarios.)

Defending yourself

Perhaps most importantly, Richardson explained that one of the biggest lies that is constantly spread by the mainstream media “includes telling people to shelter in place, and not mentioning the importance of carrying your own firearm protection.” He explained that when crazed gunmen set out to kill innocent people, they are looking for easy targets that will put up as little resistance as possible. “You can be a sitting duck, or you can even the playing field and give yourself a fighting chance,” Richardson said.

This point cannot be emphasized enough – firearms in the hands of good guys can potentially mean the difference between zero fatalities and dozens of lives lost. The lying mainstream media may steer the public away from this simple concept, but frankly, the more people who understand the importance of being armed, the better off our country as a whole will be.

Sources include:

TheBugOutBagGuide.com

OffGridSurvival.com