Dave & Dujanovic: What to do in an active shooter situation
Mar 25, 2021, 9:52 AM
This photo provided by the Atlanta Police Department shows weapons Rico Marley was armed with at the time of his arrest on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Authorities say Marley, who walked into an Atlanta grocery store with multiple guns and body armor, was spotted by a witness who immediately became suspicious and alerted management. (Atlanta Police Department via AP)
(Atlanta Police Department via AP)
SALT LAKE CITY — Run, hide, fight. In order, that is what to do in an active shooter situation according to Retired FBI Special Agent Karl Shmae.
What to do in an active shooter situation
Shmae joined Dave and Dujanovic on KSL NewsRadio to share his expertise on how to save your life if a shooter enters the building — be it a school, church or mall — you are in.
“If you can, run. Get out of there,” Shmae said. “So that means you have to have situational awareness. You have to know where those exits are. So get out of there, tell other people not to come in, tell them what’s going on.”
If you can’t flee, Shmae said the next thing to do is hide.
“You’re going to look for an office, a closet, someplace you can hopefully lock a door and maybe barricade,” Shmae advised. “You got to be very quiet, silence your phone. Your life’s gonna depend on being quiet and hiding out from the gunman.”
And last, fight.
“It’s a fight for your life with whatever is available. If you got a broom, a chair, a fire extinguisher . . . whatever. If you’re with other folks, everyone’s got to be committed. They got to take the guy down,” he explained.
To survive, be prepared
It’s important to have a plan in mind before you leave home, he recommended.
“Because if you haven’t thought through what you’re going to do, you’re just going to panic. You’re going to freeze up. You’re not going to know what to do,” Shmae said.
“[A shooting situation] is something really that we need to talk to our family [about]. We need to talk to our kids, even though it’s a scary situation . . . it can happen anywhere. It can happen in grocery stores, church, schools, anywhere, and it’s a sad commentary in our society, but that’s the reality.”
The former FBI special agent strongly recommends watching the following FBI video about “Responding to an Active Shooter Crisis Situation.”
Related:
Former Utah police chief shares insight into active shooter response
Dave & Dujanovic can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, a.s well as Apple Podcasts and Google Play.
