How to respond to an Active Shooter with your CCW pistol.

1/10/2011 | Vanity

[Ramius]

This is a topic that I have considered posting for a long time. I'm hoping to generate some good quality discussion, becuase I think this really matters. I don't know the answers. I hope that with some vigorous discussion maybe some good actionable ideas will come out.

The exercise is this: You are out and about, let's say... at a shopping mall. It could be anywhere, of course. But for the purposes of this exercise we're at a shopping mall. You're looking at a nice pair of boots in the window of some store-- suddenly the unmistakable sound of gunshots ring out. Someone is actively shooting nearby. We will assume for this exercise that:

-- You are lawfully carrying your concealed weapon. -- You are the sort that is running toward the sound of the guns.

So here are the questions:

1.) How do we recognize each other? Presumably, in a busy mall, it's entirely likely that more than one person with a CCW will respond to the sound of the guns. You run to the sound, but how do you know if when you see a guy with a gun, he's the guy with the gun that matters? What do we do about that?

Finding another CCW carrier to team up with is a huge force multiplier... but how do we recognize each other in a split second? Some of the alternatives are disastrous.

2.) How do we identify and distinguish ourselves to the police? The police will show up, and in ginormous numbers. Sooner or later the place will be crawling with them. How do we ~not~ be "the guy with a gun" they are looking for?

Let's face it... when there's an active shooter situation going on, when the cops show up (or even when some other CCW carriers show up) it's REALLY important that everybody understands who the threats are and who they aren't.

So. How do we do that?

[Travis McGee]

No idea.

[MHGinTN]

I no longer carry just one, and at least one of the ones I carry I have extra mags for. But then I can carry differently than most ... a belt pack or courier bag allows a ‘man purse’ approach. And women wonder what a man carries in his ‘purse’!

[Envisioning]

Identify your target and what is beyond it because you will be responsible for your damages no matter how well intended your actions.

Any public place is a nighmare scenario.

Lots of good responses here.

[deks]

3. Take out ID and hold it as high as possible as most undercover police will do in this type of situation. I know this sounds like a lot to do, but it may save YOUR life."

I saw a CCW badge (similar to a police badge) offered for sale, but didn't really picture how it would be used. Perhaps the badge plus a concealed carry permit in a leather ID case would work in that situation.

[Ramius]

Lots of good responses here.

Yes there are. I'm glad I finally decided to post this question. I think I may go back through and assemble some bullet points (so to speak) of the best recommendations.

It's a no-nonsense question, with real-world implications. While of course it's probably unlikely that any particular one of us that carry will ever have to face such a situation... some few undoubtedly will.

[archy]

Really, so much depends on the unique situation, that it’s hard to say, “Do this or that.” We’d all prefer to line up a nice sight picture on the active shooter’s back, while his attention was elsewhere. But it probably won’t happen that way.

See FReeppost and response thread HERE, in particular this charming response.

[deks]

Re: my previous comment to you about “CCW badges”

I looked up a couple of threads on CCW badges on two law enforcement forums...their comments were at least 99-1 against, for various reasons. Just ID seems to be the way to go.

[waterhill]

+1 on that...