School Shootings- What To Do & What Not To Do-A Strategic Action Plan For Active Shooter Situations from Cobra-Defense.

School Shootings and Active Shooter Planning and Strategies.

We have been in the stages of developing an active shooter plan for:
*Public Schools
*Private schools
*Work places
*All prospective soft targets where people congregate.

Along with the plan we have developed a product that provides a serious tactical presence and mass ballistic protection.

In this report we will only focus on facts not political opinions or knee jerk reactions to recent events.

To maximize damage and be successful as “The Shooter” they need the following:

1. They need easy access to targets.
2. They need unchallenged and unobstructed access to buildings that allow them the freedom to roam from room to room.
3. They need untrained victims/targets.
4. They need to have selected a group with no active shooter plan.
5. They need to be able to re-load at will.
6. They need to retain a functioning weapon.
7. They need vision and little to no physical contact with targets so the can effectively shoot.

FACT: You can’t stop a psychopathic criminal who intends on creating mass violence and chaos. He controls the universal advantage all criminals’ have: Time-Place and Method of Attack. Trying to seek these individuals out in advance in hopes to get them before they commit extreme acts of violence is futile. From “The Psychology of Self-Defense”-The super threat: "The One Who Can’t Be Stopped," discusses the psychopath and how difficult they are to initially stop.

FACT: Most shooters and mass murders have no specific criminal record if any. Many active shooter cases have a shooter with "NO PRIOR” criminal record or indications.

FACT: Whether you use a sling shot or an assault rifle you can only shoot what you can see and have access to. Example: Attempt to shoot a target and hit it while standing outside the gun range. It’s impossible.

FACT: Laws concerning firearms, trespassing, theft, robbery, murder and other crimes do not concern a prospective criminal or killer. It’s like inventing a make believe friend and trying to convince everyone they are real. If you create a law specifically to detour a criminal they will act like it doesn’t exist, because to them it doesn’t.

FACT: Controlling access to soft targets is much more effective and logistically easier than trying to throw new laws at citizens and controlling every gun in circulation. Example: After 911 we didn’t stop making planes, constructing new buildings or preventing travel. We made it harder to access the soft targets of the cock pit with an armored door. We gave the pilots a firearm and better training and created a tighter screening process at all airports.

FACT: Most adults do not have a plan that they have communicated with their families / children on what to do at home or school if they hear or see a gun. Any plan is better than no plan and most shelter their child from the reality of what is possible not realizing it’s leaving them completely vulnerable.

Strategic steps prior to any Active Shooter situation:

1. Communicate a plan with your family for home and public situations.
2. Rehearse your plan twice a month like a fire drill. Have fun with it if you have children however using a fake weapon will enhance the realism and allow you and your family the ability to make better decisions in a real situation. It’s critical that you expose everyone to a realistic plan prior to anything that may happen.
3. Put in writing a request to yours or your child’s school asking what security is being offered and do they have a plan for such events.
4. Write the same letter to your city council and local school board. This is a great way to push a "call to action" by the officials in charge.

During a CRITICAL violent or ACTIVE shooter situation:

1. If you hear or see a shooter and can escape the house or school immediately, do so.
2. Stay low-Move Fast and put as much space between you and the shooting noise / shooter.
3. Look for cover and concealment; make zero noise if you are hiding.
4. If you can lock a door between you and the shooter, do so.
5. Find cover and concealment behind a locked door with something in your hand to throw. Any item can and should be used as a weapon to distract the shooter. Specifically cleaning agents that spray when you pull the trigger. Example 409 spray.
6. If staged behind a locked door, turn over furniture to barricade the door and use for cover.
7. Adults should stage themselves by the locked door, out of sight by the door frame in order to hit the shooter blind side and overpower with sheer force and numbers as he makes entry.
8. Look for a fire extinguisher, aim it at the door frame off to the side and direct it at the shooters eyes if he does make entry.
9. Keep a book or a backpack full of books to your chest for basic protection of vital organs.
10. If you are spotted do not sit still, be a moving target. It’s much more difficult to hit a moving target as opposed to a stationary one.
11. If the shooter looks down and begins to work with his weapon several things could be occurring which can create a very good opportunity for those close to the shooter:

a. Gun is jammed
b. Gun is empty

****Immediate action is required in this small window****

Yell “he’s reloading” and if close enough everyone should engage and overpower the shooter.
If you are thinking run, then run. However it’s most often a last resort and best option to stop the shooter when his weapon fails.

Moral Obligation of adults when children are present: Children are almost 100% tactically helpless in this situation and as an adult they are dependent on us for survival. Adults can think faster, are better problem solvers, can physically and effectively engage another adult and process information better than a young child. If you are in the presence of children during an active shooter situation do everything you are capable of doing for them, because they can’t.

12. Properly engaging an armed individual if you have little to NO TRAINING:
Keep in mind the shooter has to find a target, commit to action and pull the trigger. He can only face and shoot one way at a time and the only dangerous part of a gun is the ½ inch across the front of the barrel. By avoiding the direction he’s facing and the front muzzle area of the weapon we can summarize that you can effectively engage an active shooter as a last resort by doing the following.

* Look at your own chest that represents 12 o’clock with your right arm being 3, your back 6 and left arm 9 o’clock.
* Most shooters, even if they are experienced, are most effective shooting between their own 10 and 2 o’clock.
* When you can see the shooters 3-9 o’clock positions and there is an opportunity, this is, under the circumstances the best time and approach to physically engage a shooter.
* Nothing less than your fastest run, lower your shoulder and hit them as hard as possible and force them to the ground. In real time training we have see how easy it is for someone to lose their weapon with very little force.
* The force and surprise of this hit will disorient them and take absolute control away from them. The shooter is no longer dictating the circumstances and shooting from a tactical position. The shooter is now on the ground, has possibly lost his weapon and must actively defend himself which keeps him from shooting anyone. If he still has his weapon remember he now has to rethink shooting as he is in a position where he may accidently shoot himself. Avoid the front of the weapon, point it up or force it toward his direction if there is a struggle for it. If you get the weapon from him or the ground SHOOT them immediately. If you don’t they may reengage you by getting their gun and continue shooting you and others or pull another weapon they were caring and continue shooting.

The Critical Reality of the Situation:

Keep in mind these are some of the worst events you could ever face and normally we would never be faced with any of this. If you have to consider doing any of this as an option you are in a life or death situation and guess what –nothing else will do.
The principals and tactics laid out in this report are for basic survival and strategic planning for the person with little to no training. The tactics are effective and the facts are accurate so please consider all that was stated as an effective plan of action for school shootings and other active shooter situations.
Our company, Cobra-Defense inc. has developed a full Active Shooter Strategic plan for parents, students and staff. This current report is a brief preliminary which is greatly expanded upon in the Cobra-Defense Alpha Plan.

Not doing anything.

Summary:

If you could be there when your friend or loved one was in this situation and the shooter was actively closing the distance on them while they were behind cover , what would you say if you only had 10 seconds left?
Waiting to get shot is not an option. Hoping they miss you or have mercy on you is not an option. Denial and panic is not an option.
If you could suddenly appear and give 10 seconds of advice to you family or friend would you advise them to cower an do nothing? Or would you advise them to move, engage and fight because you may never get another chance in this world. Anyone who gives advice or suggest in training that you should sit , wait and comply in the closing moments of an active shooter situation should read this last paragraph and seriously consider what option they would choose.