An individual that looks like another soldier/shooter/cop- a player- not necessarily a young man but probably so, or probably a young man with a young woman, with hard eyes and experience that shows in their faces. You remember those faces of the 09/11 hijackers, or the Palestinian suicide bombers, or of the LAX ElAl ticket counter shooter? They don't look like your typical librarian or school administrator, they're a hardier breed. So are ours, if you've ever been around young Marine officers or NCO, or tank sergeants...or other snipers. They can be very funny, happy, well-adjusted guys, but there is an undeniable seriousness of purpose about them that sometimes is on as bright as a light bulb- and just as obvious. If you're not close enough to spot the shooter, you may see a vehicle ease into a position that you'll klnow, because it's the one you'd use if YOU were going to take out a couple of grunts coming out of that nearby gas station or mall shop. If you were going to site one of your squad's crew-served weapons, you'd pick that spot for it- because it commands a target. A vehicle in such a location may be the sniper's mobile *hide*- or it may just be a motorist with vehicle trouble, or now, a cop with similar ideas. But you'd know.
And if it came to that, you might hear that pop of a 5,56 mm round fired from a distance, not at all loud unless it's quite close, or spot a component of the little black rifle you carried and know very personally from several years intimate personal familiarity with it. You might even be *lucky* and see a flash not unlike that of a flashbulb in the darkened interior of a nearby van or truck, and know instinctively what it is- and, a moment later, hear the flat snapping crack not of the rifle itself, but of a suoersonic bullet as it passes nearby objects...or over your head!... and leaves a sonic boom in its wake. You might even be good enough to count the *crack-thump* difference in time, as taught to artillery forward observers, snipers and certain other specialists. If you're that lucky, you'll have a pretty good idea of just how far away the shooter is, and in what direction,,,though you'll not likely be able to call in an airstrike or for mortar fire the way you used to deal with such things.
But in any event, you'll be hunting the sniper, whether you're armed with equal equipment, or lesser, or better or none at all. While invisible, you'll observe and destroy, and whether you fire a shot or not, the intelligence value of the information you collect, if acted upon by those who are supposed to, is what will really make things worse for that hostile trigger puller.
Best of all, you won't panic, and that seets an example. If he has managed to hit another victim, you'll have at kleast had the training to deal with such injuries if anything aty all can be done, and you may well have more experience at caring for those so injured than you ever really wanted to pick up. You may or may not be part of the *official team* dealing with the problem, but until they arrive and can offer better results than you can provide, it's your responsibility. And you have presumably dealt with responsibilities, large or small, before.
But whatever happened, scared though you may be [a Marine junior officer of my acquaintance calls it *concerned for his men*] you'll not panic or freeze doing nothing. You'll do something.
And General Patton once observed that a generally good if flawed plan executed immediately is better than a perfectly preparede one activated later. You'll take charge and move out, and suddenly, Mr Sniper is going to have some REAL problems, and is no longer in control of his surroundings and the situation. You may lean on your car horn, you may shoot a great many pistol-caliber holes in a white truck, or ram it with your own vehicle, if that's all ya' got. But you'll do something. And it will not be something the sniper wants to happen to him, though he may have planned for such a contingency. But once you do, he's going to be the one who's scared.
-archy-/-
Stay Safe Archy.....good post . Thought provoking !