“Active shooter.” “Mass shooting.” “Mass murder.” “School shooting.” “Gun violence.” Unfortunately, these are words and phrases we’re becoming increasingly used to hearing and talking about. However, sometimes the media throw these terms around, without giving information that many people care about – how to avoid them. The best thing we can do is to become educated about how these incidents happen and how to protect yourself from harm, because despite our best efforts, we can’t always prevent someone from becoming an active shooter.

Active Shooters Vs. Mass Shooters

An active shooter is an individual who is actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined or populated area. Active shooters typically use firearms but don’t follow a pattern when it comes to victim selection. Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly.

Assailants are considered mass shooters when the number of injured and/or dead reaches four or more, not including the shooter.

Where are Active Shooters Likely to Strike?

Active shooter incidents can occur anywhere at any time, but are most likely to take place at businesses, schools, and government facilities, especially those that are highly populated but lack security and provide easy access.

Types of Weapons Used

An active shooter will choose a weapon that will injure or kill the most people. In the Las Vegas concert attack, the shooter used an AR-15 rifle equipped with a bump stock to enable rapid fire. However, studies show that rifles are used far less often than handguns.

In an infographic published in July 2015, Regroup compiled active shooter data from 2000 to June of 2014, and found that:

97% of the time it’s men who initiate this sort of attack, and of those men the vast majority are 49 years old or younger
A handgun was used in 60% of those incidents, with shotguns coming in at 28% and rifles being used 22% of the time
In 81% of the cases, the guns were obtained legally
62% of the shooters exhibited some sign of mental illness prior to the incident

2017: By the numbers

According to the Office for Victims of Crime, there were 11 mass shootings in 2017, more than any other year in recorded history.

117 fatalities
587 casualties
Nearly half the fatalities (58) and more than 90% of the casualties (546) occurred on October 1, 2017 at a Las Vegas music festival during which a gunman opened fire on the crowd
The Las Vegas incident is the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.

How Active Shooter Incidents End

Active shooter incidents typically end in one of four ways:

The shooter commits suicide
The shooter and law enforcement exchange gunfire
Unarmed citizens successfully restrain the shooter
Armed citizens exchange gunfire with the shooter

According to a 2017 CNN report of 160 active shooter incidents between 2000 and 2013, suicide and gunfire exchange with law enforcement ended 70% of the events. Just over 13% of the cases ended after the intervention of unarmed civilians.

What to do if You’re Involved in an Active Shooter Event

If you ever find yourself in the middle of an active shooter event, your survival may depend on whether or not you have a plan. When formulating your plan, keep in mind that you have three options: run, hide, or fight.

Run: If you can get out of the area, get out. Even if others insist on staying, try to get out.

Hide: If you can’t get out safely you need to find a place to hide where the shooter is unlikely to find you. Secure your hiding place as much as possible and turn out the lights, lock the door and silence your cell phone. If you can’t find a safe room or closet to hide in, try to conceal yourself behind large objects, such as a desk or cabinets.

Fight: As a last resort, and if your life is in imminent danger, fight. Commit to taking the shooter down, no matter what because once you engage, it’s unlikely you can change your mind without causing serious injury to yourself or others.

None of us want to experience and active shooter incident. Unfortunately, these situations can and do happen and recent current events continue to remind us that we are not immune to these types of tragedies. Because these events seem to be happening more often than ever before, we all need to be aware and as prepared as possible.

The Rise of the Active Shooter: What You Should Know