Shooting Going on right now

[romanianmmaguy]

A shooting went down literally now at the mall I just sarged at 3 days ago. There seem to be a lot of people on this forum astute in this field, so for future reference:

If I here gunshots and I am unarmed, what do I do? Just keep my head down and GTFO???

This is going down in New Jersey, and people are saying already saying on social networking how stricter laws should be put in place on social networking. Doesn't NJ already have pretty strict laws???

[Noa]

I heard about this, reminded me of this video:
http://www.spike.com/episodes/3w9eyj/su ... n-1-ep-107

It's basically a Marine(or Navy Seal, can't remember) that explains what to do during a mall shooting, I think it answers some of your questions.

[Guilty Pleasure]

My co workers were stuck in the lock down.. Once again it's better to be prepared than to not know what the fuck to do.

Another reason why I want to get back into self defense and even explore the world of guns.. You really just don't know.. Sheep dogs over sheep

K.C.

[romanianmmaguy]

Could Bravo's magic flashlight work in a lighted area like the GSP?

[Jungel]

even if you have a firearms permit and legally own a gun, you cannot take it anywhere (in NJ) unless you are going to or from the range.
So if you had your gun in the mall searching for the badguy, you would likely be arrested as well.

[Methos]

A shooting went down literally now at the mall I just sarged at 3 days ago. There seem to be a lot of people on this forum astute in this field, so for future reference:

If I here gunshots and I am unarmed, what do I do? Just keep my head down and GTFO???

This is going down in New Jersey, and people are saying already saying on social networking how stricter laws should be put in place on social networking. Doesn't NJ already have pretty strict laws???

Last I checked, criminals break laws so I don't see how more laws would help. Best advice I can give is to get the hell out of any state that has strict laws against self defense and personal safety.

But since that's not practical for most people... check your laws and figure out what defense options are available to you. Seek professional training on those options and figure out which ones you feel most comfortable with.

I can't say if a flashlight would have helped you (not enough details) but it certainty wouldn't hurt to have one on you. It's one of my personal favorite defense options because most people don't view a flashlight as a weapon. Doubt any cop will arrest you for shining a flashlight, especially if you use it to run away.


As important as it is to talk about these defense options (gun/knife/etc) I think it's not discussed enough about when you should make the choice to use them. I read a story several months ago about another mall shooting where a citizen was stuck in the mall while it was going down. This citizen was legally armed and even though he only heard the gunshots (didn't have a visual on the shooter) he made the decision to draw his concealed pistol.

Naturally, because of our uneducated, media fear driven society, some other innocent victims who took cover saw this man and panicked thinking he might be a 2nd shooter. Not saying innocent people should have assumed otherwise... just saying the public (and police) in general assume anyone with a weapon is a criminal. So think VERY hard before you display ANY weapon in view or anyone (flashlight is okay).

This citizen trying to help the situation probably didn't think twice about drawing his pistol. And that decision could have had serious repercussions. He had his wife or GF with him and made her take cover while he peaked over a counter or something to see if he could spot the shooter. The shooter was in a nearby food court and the citizen was in a store adjacent to it.

When an innocent victim (woman) took cover near the man and his wife/GF she was freaking out asking why he had a gun. His wife/GF lied and told her he is a security officer. Smart thinking on her part in my opinion because most of society immediately assumes a cop or other official is okay to be armed.

Long story short the shooter made eye contact with the armed citizen and then ran the other way. He went around a corner and down a hall or something where he put a bullet in his brain. No one will ever know if the presence of seeing an armed citizen caused the shooter to end his own life.

Now with the shooter neutralized and even greater threat existed for the armed citizen (hero). The police are on the way and probably have very little information beyond there is an "active shooter situation" in progress. Imagine being this man and the fear he felt knowing when the cops arrived if they saw his gun he might be shot at for sure arrested and treated like a scumbag criminal.

He was already on the phone with the police telling them who he was, what clothes he was wearing and where he saw the shooter go. Even still, it takes a while for information to reach all the boots on the ground and even if they were aware this man was not the criminal accidents happen... and they happen way to often for the police. Because police have been trained for a long time to treat anyone armed as a serious threat. It doesn't matter that this man didn't break any laws... he has a gun = bad guy

All I'm saying is... go get prepared but THINK first. If I had been that armed citizen in the mall I wouldn't have drawn my weapon unless the shooter was a direct threat to myself or a loved one. It depends greatly on the situation but I would fear the police just as much as the shooter.

[Bravo]

Could Bravo's magic flashlight work in a lighted area like the GSP?

a flashlight in a DARK area (like a movie theater) could def help if someone is shooting at you

IF YOU KNOW HOW TO TACTICALLY DEPLOY A LIGHT

but most dont...even most cops


in an active shooter scenario like a mall....I would want to get out ASAP

would not want to lock the door and cross my fingers...like they did in the mall in Kenya