At public events across the nation, revelers will assemble in large numbers to welcome in the new year, but one expert cautions that attendees should be ready for the worst-case scenarios.
Joey Walker, a self-defense instructor and retired police lieutenant, stated, “It seems like every other week there is another case where a person with a firearm has decided to attack innocent people.”
“These mass shootings can happen for a variety of reasons, including mental illness, enraged individuals, and everything in between. Such a person is not only homicidal but suicidal when they choose to go on such a murdering rampage.”
Walker described what actions people can do in the event of an active shooter scenario in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Walker, a self-defense specialist who has authored books and instructed laypeople on how to stay safe in a range of circumstances, stated that the optimal course of action in an active shooter scenario “needs to be revamped to Run, Hide, Ambush.”
He provided guidelines and tactics for every verb.
Run
Walker listed two crucial decisions to be made in the event of gunfire: Which way are the shots coming from and how far away are you from the gunman?
Walker said that it is a mistake for anyone attempting to flee from the bullets to frequently attempt to phone 911 while doing so.
“Your priority, if possible, is to escape from the kill zone,” he stated. “Once you are in a safer place, then call 911 to report the shooter.”
Walker suggests that you “drop low to the ground and attempt to get behind some object that might stop bullets from striking you.”
“If you need to escape from the immediate area, you may need to move from one position of cover to another until you have escaped from the entire area,” he stated.
Hide
It’s crucial to decide where to hide.
Walker stated that it is best if the building or room has a door that can close and lock and the gunman hasn’t yet entered. After that, blockade the door, turn out the lights, and back away from the entrance to a corner where you won’t be shot at.
“If you have elected to hide from the shooter, choose a place where, if the shooter were to breach your concealed location, you will be capable of your last line of defense: fighting for your life,” Walker stated.
“Should the shooter enter the room, locate them and be ready to employ blunt or sharp objects as makeshift defense weapons. As the individual travels through the area, keep an ear out for the shooter. This is the moment to prepare yourself in case the gunman tries to enter your property if you hear them approaching.”
Ambush
The final option is this.
“From teaching active-shooter defense, I advocate not throwing things or charging the shooter, all of which are dangerous, and the shooter may elect to shoot that person next,” Walker stated.
Instead, move from your covert hiding place and get ready for the gunman. Put yourself in a situation where you can counterattack the shooter by using an ingenious defense weapon.”
Walker advised striking the shooter’s eyes or throat with a sharp weapon. Use a blunt object as your defense weapon and strike the shooter in the face or head.
He claimed that being this near to a gunman is only a last-ditch effort, particularly if you lack self-defense training.
In a hand-to-hand fighting scenario, Walker instructs his students on how to multitask: “You might need to move the firearm’s barrel away from you while at the same time initiating a quick set of strikes to disable the shooter.”
“Once you have disarmed and disabled the shooter, if the opportunity exists, escape from the area,” Walker said. “If there is or maybe a second shooter and their location is unknown, remain in your concealed location and be prepared to defend yourself should the need arise.”