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One aspect of these news reports is interesting Stoat. The first thing that they do in response to these incidents is to lock the doors.

That’s OK I suppose if you’re out, but what if you’re in? Now you’re trapped inside with a potential serial killer.

I’ve never been a panicky sort of person and normally wouldn’t join the stampede but I’ll be damned if I’ll allow someone to herd me or corral me like that.

I guess I’ll have to rethink my strategies for those few occasions when I’m in places like Southcenter...

I agree it's a weird situation to be in as a customer....one moment you're shopping in a store and the next moment they've rolled down the security barrier and the pimply-faced kid with the plastic name badge tells you that it's 'store policy' in these sorts of situations...and if you say that you HAVE to leave because you need to get back home to take care of your sick grandmother who needs her medication or you have children in a different store at the mall, you're branded a 'troublemaker' and you are instantly focused upon by the overzealous mall cops. I've read accounts of this where some people say they were held inside Macy's for FOUR HOURS. A pleasant shopping experience can turn into a nightmare in an instant.

I don't know if there's a perfect solution for this other than always being armed (most of us probably do that anyway), always having a cellphone with you (and any children having at least one phone among them as well) , have a 'disaster / separation plan' with children, always carrying essential medications on your person rather than in the glove compartment and perhaps considering some of the lessons learned after 9/11. Make sure you have some coinage with you in case cell service is unavailable or you have to access a vending machine (a film cannister stuffed with quarters is easy to carry in a coat pocket)....various things like that.

I work in prehospital emergency medical services, oftentimes at big public events, and I am oftentimes astounded at how poorly prepared people are....a FREQUENT scenario is an older, infirm person who rode the bus an hour to get to the event...the weather changes for the worse or the person experiences a medical emergency and we find that they have no coat or suitable garment for the changed weather, they don't have medication with them that they need, etc. etc...they don't think for a moment that things can change and all of a sudden they are very much at risk of grave harm and in the middle of a completely unnecessary life-threatening event.

As to being caught in a shopping-mall lockdown, I'm afraid that this is just one more reason why I will be spending my Christmas shopping money online...I'll be getting a better selection and usually at better prices too.