Terrorist take over mall what would you do?

It Appears The Moderators Think This Post Fits Better Here

It seems like when ever someone posts a “how would you handle the current active shooter event in the news” thread at least one person states that they’d step in and “take charge”.

I can’t speak for others but in the middle of a situation like that, especially in the early moments when it’s not clear what’s going on, if you aren’t wearing a uniform and a badge I am very likely going to ignore you and if you really push the issue I may even perceive you as a threat and engage you.

I also would speculate that even in a shall issue state like my home state of Virginia that the number of people legally carrying concealed weapons would be quite low in a mall. The idea of forming an impromptu team of good guys to fight the terrorists seems unlikely. How do you know that the person you meet with a gun in his hand is not one of the criminals? Simply to expose your own weapon to public view will make you a priority target to any armed person in sight, and you may be shot by either a law officer or another citizen in the same situation you are. You have to do what's right, but the likelihood of the correct path being obvious is small. Even what appears to be the best means of escape may be a trap.

It's getting so that any public place that holds a large number of soft targets is a place to avoid on principle.

Id like to think I'd grab a few people (after getting them to shut up and be quiet) move off to a side are, running to an exit right away is a VERY bad idea. If however the shooter is say down a hallway and walking towards the area im in, I'd lay an ambush. Flat against the wall, weapon on stomach (other arm stays high to prevent injuring yourself) grab the end of the weapon with left hand or at least prevent them from turning fully that lets ur lower hand attack center mass. If the attacker is moving toward the are I'm at and I know I'm cornered I wont run. Id rather die fighting then running.

I'd lay an ambush. Flat against the wall, weapon on stomach

Click to expand...

And then here comes Joe the armed citizen trying to make his way to the corridor beside you and escape out the maintenance tunnel. Now you're clearly a guy with a weapon in his hand waiting on someone AND you are between Joe and his safety. I'm not so sure I want to have my gun out until I'm on target. That's for my own safety. The bad guys aren't marked with special hats...anyone could be a threat.

Greg Ellifritz just posted an excellent article on this topic at the link below. I had a chance to train with Greg last summer and got a lot out of it:

http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/brainstorming-response-options-in-the-nairobi-mall-incident

There was a parishioner named Larry Bourbonnais who tried to jump into the mix at New Life during the shooting and ended up being asked to leave the church over it. He was trying to take a security guard’s gun so he could go after the shooter

armedaccountant said:

Terrorist take over mall what would you do?

Click to expand...

Get ... Out.

Quickly leave open area to find cover and assess ... then exit the property taking any that I have brought and any that I may pickup along the way.

I would only consider engaging a bad guy(s) if such an action was forced upon me ... and then with the sole ultimate purpose of creating an escape route for me & mine.

X-Rap, your school bus scenario is comparing apples to oranges. 2 completely different scenarios. I am in the medical field and my instinct when faced with car accidents and the like are to switch into "first responder mode". My instinct is to run to aid in such situations.
I have never been in an active shooter scenario I can't say what my instinct would be. I know it would be a different reaction if my family was present or not. I do know that my first priority would be to my family's safety, those are the only people I am responsible for. I am an avid shooter but am not trained in combat. Probably my first reaction would be to ind cover and assess what was happening. That may mean gathering the fam and hiding somewhere being ready to defend us with my firearm if we are found. That may mean finding an exit as quickly as possible and using whatever means to accomplish it. All I can do is speculate. If saving my own family is cowardly then so be it. Personal protection is just that PERSONAL. I am not accountable to those who choose not to protect themselves.

it's a very good question , what would I do ? I would like to think that I would get myself out of there as quick as possible and not get involved , but my track record proves otherwise , I would probably get myself killed , but it's a matter of principle and I am a man of principle , guess that is why the good Lord has always kept me from those types of temptations , I tend to walk out of a place just before a bomb goes off or I tend to arrive right after a major gunfight , thank goodness. Let's hope I never get to find out

Apples and oranges? Maybe
The bus is on fire and fuel is leaking, if it goes up the bus and those inside could likely be engulfed. I think it is a valid question since the danger to you if either situation go bad is just as real.
I don't dispute dealing with your loved ones first but what if your child is in the middle of the bus? Do you just stomp over the rest of the kids?
This is a moral question more than a tactical one so far as helping people in peril and the answer is one worth contemplating. No quarrel with taking on well armed terrorists in general but making an effort to get people to safety if able and willing and with avoiding a frontal assult in the process, I guess I would have to see it in person to make a choice.

E & E out of there by any means possible... If you're lucky you're alone - if with friends or family bring them out with you.... Anyone who contemplates anything else would be wise to re-read post #15 by Fred Fuller about this kind of stuff.

If you're able to get your family or friends out safely and the only risk is your own hide then maybe, if you have a chance to rescue others - go for it (but remember post #15...)

Tell all the fools wearing crosses and hijabless women her name is amineh and leave.

Rule 1: when one goes to Africa or the middle east and obviously not a native white people I'm talking to you, non Muslims and the worst of all AMERICANS. It is wise to dress like a native and know a little about the Quran. I can name three of Mohammedans wives in a pinch.

Rule 2: understanding that jobs may take people to these places, there is no particular reason to be vacationg in hot zones. Don't go where your not welcome.

Rule 3: as Americans we are FREE. Free to travel almost anywhere in the world with a runway and boat dock. One must realize the rest of the world isn't America. Get caught with an American smut book at a check point and watch all your belongings get tossed around for being an "American/ Israeli spy".

Going to Kenya with no knowledge of the Quran is like going to the amazon without a malaria shot.

Same thing I do now..........avoid the mall

What would I do? Take cover and then seek to evade and escape. My concealed weapons license does not (as the instructor in my first CCW class pointed out) convey any law enforcement authority or responsibility. My ol’ daddy also pointed out that shooting situations and gunfights are best avoided ‘cuz they’re hazardous to ones health. Sticking your nose in one can get you unintentionally killed. First responders and on-site protectors don’t always know who is who either. I will leave it to others to be the hero.

Here in MN some believe a potential high value target would be the Mall of America (MOA) - with its 40 million annual visitors. The MOA is also posted "No guns" (although the signs don't meet legal requirements) and the mall has seen its share of violent crime. 2.8% of Minnesota's population have carry permits. I'll bet there is a percentage of those folks (like me) that rarely carry outside the home AND of the 2.8%, most are probably concerned about personal safety and awareness - which likely translates to "don't go to stupid places and don't hang out with stupid people" which probably also means that a good number of the 2.8% (like me) don't go to the MOA, especially since 4 out of 10 visitors are tourists. Of the 111,111 (average) daily visitors to the MOA, I would be surprised if more than 25 regular folks (non-LEO/Gov/etc...) entered the mall with a firearm on a daily basis. Considering the size of the mall (4.3 miles of store front footage), that would be a lot of ground to cover.

If SHTF in a mall, armed or not my first order of business is escape. Any mistakes made in the process of trying to be a "hero" can also land you in prison. I wouldn't expect Obama to be pinning the Presidential Medal of Freedom on anyone's chest for shooting it out with criminals in a mall for of children.