WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

[Duchess]

Have you ever thought about being in a public setting in which a gunman opens fire? What would you do?

[Donovan]

Ever since one of the earliest incidents at San Ysidro I don't like to sit with my back to the exits, and I trust my instincts a lot more about potential ugliness. I'd rather read about it in the news than be the story.

[username]

If i was close to the shooter, duck and cover. On top of any kids nearby.

Depending on how far away he/she was, I might haul ass.

I'd like to think if I were behind, I'd go for a tackle.

All speculation though; not sure what my instincts would direct me to do.

[Donovan]

I've been in two situations. Once I bolted, once I attacked. Both were completely instinctive and I couldn't say there was any real conscious thought put into the choice other than "SHIT! GUN!" In the case where I bolted I do remember trying to make a glass door and somehow tripping as the gun fired, at which point I thought I'd got hit, but then decided as long as my legs worked I was gonna get up and keep going. That and the thought I needed to get other people with guns to come help me.

That was Vegas, BTW, as long as we're crossreferencing threads.

[Midwest Spy]

That was Vegas, BTW, as long as we're crossreferencing threads.

Was that the courthouse shooting from Jan 2010 by any chance?

[Lady Cop]

Have you ever thought about being in a public setting in which a gunman opens fire? What would you do?

we had a lot of firefight training at academy. and more each year for firearms re-qualification. had to run a course while being fired upon (simunition, OUCH!), and clear a house as well. in the dark. also a street firefight situation.
i never went to dinner where i didn't sit with my back to a wall and able to view whoever came in.
i would hope my training would kick in if i ever found myself in situation you describe.
a lot would depend on whether i was armed.
armed or unarmed...take best cover possible.
armed, take shooter out.

[HairOfTheDog]

If confined, like in a movie theater, I'd pull anybody I was with straight to the ground and get as protected by seats or whatever was possible...

If in an open area, get whoever I was with to the nearest cover, or grab them and run like hell if the gunman was far enough way.

Playing dead would be an option if getting away was not one.

I actually had never seriously contemplated this scenario personally before. Scary.

[Duchess]

I'm afraid I would simply freeze where I was.

I was walking through the arbor one evening, he was following behind me & a snake dropped from the top, I was very startled, he told me later that all I did was run in place, my feet were moving but I didn't move an inch. Jesus Christ.

[ramseycat]

I have no idea. I would probably freeze too. It just seems so out of the realm of possibility that I would be faced with a situation like that. But I'm sure the people in the movie theater felt the same way.

[Duchess]

These days truth is often stranger than fiction. It could happen to any one of us at any give time.

Have you talked to your kids about what they would do if your house was on fire in the middle of the night?

[Clang McFly]

Have you ever thought about being in a public setting in which a gunman opens fire? What would you do?

Die, while trying to shield women and children from gunfire.

Or in reality, die while trying to save my cowardly ass.

[Maggot]

Toss Clang in front of me then hide under the body.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

I have never liked sitting with my back to the door. Been running around armed most of my adult life. I also like to think I would be the one guy that returns fire before the asshole manages to emty his gun. Never know unless it happens. Only time I was ever close was a motorcycle gathering down here, some jackass from the Pagans, Elbow his name was, opened up on a couple of the local Outlaws, used a POS 38, managed to nick 2 outlaws and one of the Wings of Gold guys and almost tagged my club boss before a couple other guys tagged him. I was blocked in and never had a shot. He got 2 9mm wounds and was treated and released. I carry a 45, so it wasn't me, he would not have survived. 2 weeks or so later while he was out on bond 2 of his brothers tried to whack him, he got one of them. Lesson learned: Pagans can't shoot, neither can the Wings.

[Maggot]

9mm suck I would rather use a .22 for target if only for the cheap ammo. Now a .45 will stop a bear, a .357 will also, for protection they are what you need.

[QueenBee]

My husband has a concealed weapon permit, and usually either has a small gun or a knife with him. Knofe would probably not be of much good unless he was behind the person.
I would probably do the duck and cover thing...taking any kids or old people down with me. Then again..I am old, someone better be covering my ass.

[Donovan]

That was Vegas, BTW, as long as we're crossreferencing threads.

Was that the courthouse shooting from Jan 2010 by any chance?

No but I knew where that happened. My situation was single shooter, I walked out a self-locking door into a situation where a female security guard at the rear of the casino was being overpowered by her much bigger, apparently drunk boyfriend. I tried to intervene but before I could get close to them he came up with her gun and tried to shoot me. I had only one way out and that was thru the casino doors about ten feet away, but essentially I was screwed and knew it. If she hadn't yanked his arm down he'd have got me. Instead he killed the trash can next to me.

The fucked up thing? I worked in that casino in the restaurant, knew them both, and had served them dinner about an hour before. I understand he dropped the gun as soon as he fired at me but I sure as fuck didn't wait to find out, I was headed for backup. With guns. It was purely a wrong place, wrong time kinda thing that escalated into ugly before anyone could think it through. Wouldn't have made me any less dead, but I wasn't even really mad at the guy. Felt bad when he got kicked out of the country. He was a Columbian or Peruvian Indian, big fucker.

The other time wasn't nearly so exciting, it was an attempted robbery in a park in Portland and the guy did one of those movie-style "gun in the ribs" things. I grabbed his wrist and hit him really hard in the face and he took a little nap. Never even had a chance to think about that being a threat it just was instinctive. Don't remember what the guy looked like, scruffy little white kid tweaker, but I kept his gun hahaha. POS .25, used to jam up all the damn time.

Come to think of it, my near misses have all been much more exciting than the actual times people tried to shoot me. Hmmm. Must be the buildup to the moment.

[Donovan]

I tried to find an overhead of the Silver Nugget Casino where I could point out the exit I was stuck in, but instead I found a video of a different shooting from 2009. I'm putting it here only so you can see we were basically in the heart of ghetto northtown, strictly gang clientele these days, and also because if you watch the whole video there's a hilarious spot at about a minute and fifteen seconds. No spoiler just watch for it.

[Eat Shit And Die]

I'd just stand behind loktar.

[Donovan]

Pretty sure Loktar would be the one shooting at you.

[Clang McFly]

Pretty sure Loktar would be the one shooting at you.

Nah, I'd shield him...









...by sitting on him. Death by suffacation is much easier to make look accidental.