Just Like a Deer in the Headlights

Alvin Police Chief Mike Merkel said there are three things shoppers need to know if they are trapped in a chaotic shooting situation inside a mall.

First, stand still.

"They're going to pick out individuals who are running to or away from them," Merkel said. "Standing still may keep you from becoming a victim."

That's your best advice, get all wide-eyed and paralyzed? That's what you train your "Only Ones" to do in fluid tactical situations, right, Chief?

And how about that mall management, providing "complimentary" security escorts "as requested"? I wonder if one of their $9/hr. rent-a-cops will be ready to throw himself between my family and an armed assailant?

Facts folks: there is no one-size-fits-all procedure to follow, and the Chief ought to know better than to issue authoritative pronouncements without knowing what the hell he's talking about. We know from experience that a moving target is harder to hit, as is one that puts distance between himself and the shooter, and that even if hit, the likelihood of sustaining a fatal wound is decreased. We know that diving for cover can offer brief shelter, but that assumes a stationary shooter not hunting down prey--which, if we look at Virginia Tech and Columbine, just isn't the way these things go down.

Here are two other things we know: by the time Chief Merkel's finest are in position to engage the madman, the brunt--if not all--of the killing will have been done.

That and the only proven deterrent to a shooter is shooting back.

[Via Mack]