When Seconds Count: Stopping Active Killers

[mekender]

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.as ... 7534a6de3c

There have been so many school shootings over the last 40 years that researchers have been able to develop a profile of the typical mass murderer.

They're called "active shooters" or "active killers" and their crimes play out in a matter of minutes.

After the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, police changed their tactics.

The two student gunmen killed 15 people and themselves before the SWAT team was in position.

Commanders realized that it simply takes too long to assemble a tactical team in time to stop an active killer.

The new tactics developed in response to Columbine involved creating an ad-hoc tactical team using the first four or five patrol officers on the scene.

They would enter the shooting scene in a diamond formation with guns pointing in all directions.

{Snipped by mods for Fair Use considerations}

We need to be stressing the last two sentences as much as possible.

[Aglifter]

I still think it has to be considered damn near suicide for a single shooter to do a search -- what if it's "sudden jihadi" instead of the "active shooter*"?

Also, I would think any lone man doing something that dangerous would be so keyed up, he's going to fire on the first person he THINKS has a gun. (Maybe soldiers could handle this -- others on the board could speak competently on such things, but I can't see a LEO being trained enough for this purpose... Of course, standing outside a room, armed, hearing gun shots and screams wouldn't be the easiest thing to do either...)

*They may be right on a particular form of insanity, but the jihadis don't seem as prone to suicide.

[mekender]

well, the guy in the utah mall was supposedly islamic... as was the guy in the synagogue in WA...

i dont think the difference really matters.... SOME form of resistance is better than nothing, especially when people are dying.

[randy]

As soon as they're confronted by any armed resistance, the shooters typically turn the gun on themselves.

This has been apparent as far back as the Luby's shooting in early 90's. As soon as the cops showed up and (IIRC) fired a round that didn't even come close, the bastard retreated to the bathroom and did what he should have done with the first round he fired.

ANY resistance is likely to cause these losers to kill themselves immediately to avoid capture, and as we all here agree (I assume), the most effective resistance in such a situation is "Front site, center of mass, squeeze the trigger, 2 to the chest and one to the head, make sure the goblin's nice and dead"

If nothing else, making him take cover and focusing on you is going to give innocents (i.e. wimmin and children folk, screw any adult male not willing to fight back) a chance to escape.

[randy]

I still think it has to be considered damn near suicide for a single shooter to do a search -- what if it's "sudden jihadi" instead of the "active shooter*"?

To be cold blooded and blunt about it, that's their frackin' job. A primary duty of military and LEO is to stand between evil and the innocent.

You don't always pick your fight, and the tactical situation is going to suck because you're reacting to their initiative, but even if you go down you might buy time for the innocent to escape and the rest of the troops to pile in and finish the job.

Anyone, military or LEO, not prepared* to take such a stand between the goblins and the innocent, need to find another line of work. Fortunately most I know in both professions will do so if called upon, but I've known more than a few clerks/politicians in uniform and social workers wearing badges.

* Note: Prepared to do so if called upon. Not willing (I will never willingly put myself in an untenable tactical situation), not looking to do so (don't want to be a "hero" or a martyr), but prepared to accept the responsibility and do what is necessary, not just what's desirable.

As Pournelle once wrote, such things are rarely rational, but they are often necessary.

[Darrell]

You might remember, during the Xmas church shooting here, when Jeanne Assam went marching toward the shooter, firing as she went, he quickly offed himself.

[clyde621]

I still think it has to be considered damn near suicide for a single shooter to do a search -- what if it's "sudden jihadi" instead of the "active shooter*"?

Aglifter: I will have to disagree with you here. Most officers that I worked with were and are honorable lpeople and they knew what the job is and what they may have to be called upon to do their work. Now that is not to say that there are not some cowards that are cops also but for the most part they are willing to go into harms way willingly.

[Rumpshot]

In most states, concealed handguns are prohibited at schools and on college campuses even for those with permits.

Many malls and workplaces also place signs at their entrances prohibiting firearms on the premises.

Now tacticians believe the signs themselves may be an invitation to the active killers.

The psychological profile of a mass murderer indicates he is looking to inflict the most casualties as quickly as possible.

Also, the data show most active killers have no intention of surviving the event.

They may select schools and shopping malls because of the large number of defenseless victims and the virtual guarantee no on the scene one is armed.

As soon as they're confronted by any armed resistance, the shooters typically turn the gun on themselves.

How can this possibly be? Signs don't kill people, guns do. Why wasn't this sentence censored out of this article? Irresponsible journalism?

[Aglifter]

I didn't mean to imply that the LEO would be cowardly for not going -- I meant that I wasn't sure it would be beneficial. If mass shooters, including jihadis, do usually commit suicide at the first sign of resistance, then it's less suicidal then I had thought.

[Steamforger]

I had a nice long post worked up using a quote from Randy that was particularly on point. Something I hit ate it. Let me summarize.

Wasted seconds are lost innocent lives. Speed, shock, and violence of action are the standing orders for dealing with active shooters. This is not the time for slow and methodical IMO. Head for the noise. Tailgunners are a great asset, but be prepared to enter without one.

Most PD units are kitted out to ideally perform as a first responder to an active shooter. There is typically a rifle or SMG of some kind in damn near every police vehicle these days.

If you happen to be the sole responder, and backup is not arriving in the forseeable future (within the next minute really, and that may be waiting too long), your ass needs to be headed in. Fall back on training, and use your head. This is not being a glory hound, or medal hunting, but a practical matter. Even if you just end up diverting the shooter's attentions away from innocents while backup is prepping to make entry, then you've done some good.

Officer safety is important. Flat hatting into a violent and unknown situation is dangerous, and not for the faint of heart. Little kids taking fire trumps all of that.

No one ever said being a cop was a safe job.