So I was pondering on my walk through campus what I should do in case of a shooting at my school (which will go unnamed). Let's assume for the sake of this argument that one is going to be following the law and not carrying a gun or weapon of any sort. We'll also assume the school is in the city and consists of a large number of geographically separated buildings, which are predominantly but not necessarily linked to one another by bridges, walkways, etc.
As far as I can tell, there are 3 options off the top of my head. I do not have any expertise in this area so I appreciate any insight.
1. Hunker down in the office. Pros: doesn't take a lot of prep, not necessary to know where the perp is. Cons: multiple points of entry, office mates open the door at night when somebody knocks without asking who it is so I don't know how secure we'll be, doors and walls are flimsy and lack sufficient locks. I haven't completely mapped the space yet but there are 8 separate points of entry, 3 of which are the double doors that lock in the middle (hence the combined give of each side could result in a very easy entry).
2. Escape via hallways/stairs and/or basement tunnels. Pros: multiple routes that could be decided in advance, routes are adaptable, gets me off campus in a hurry. Cons: without a clear idea of where the perp is, I could be running into a death trap, or I could end up in a horde of other students.
3. Utilize a creative entry point into the building structure (I know of at least one entrance into the ceiling from the bathroom). Pros: I'm well hidden and it's unlikely the perp will find me there. Cons: I would not be able to likely map it in advance, I would likely have to abandon some of the less athletic or it would take too much time, and the ceiling tiles offer no ballistic protection whatsoever, though I could perhaps find a space that does.
There are, of course, other considerations. In a roof shooter situation, it may be best to hunker down and wait it out. However, knowing the nature of the shooter is probably not going to happen very easily, so it's something else I've been considering.
Thanks for reading my uneducated view of things. Now, I'm interested to hear what others have to say. I realize for some of you this may be like asking whether you'd rather be shot with a 9mm or .45, but this is a very real question to which I very much want to know the answer.
As far as I can tell, there are 3 options off the top of my head. I do not have any expertise in this area so I appreciate any insight.
1. Hunker down in the office. Pros: doesn't take a lot of prep, not necessary to know where the perp is. Cons: multiple points of entry, office mates open the door at night when somebody knocks without asking who it is so I don't know how secure we'll be, doors and walls are flimsy and lack sufficient locks. I haven't completely mapped the space yet but there are 8 separate points of entry, 3 of which are the double doors that lock in the middle (hence the combined give of each side could result in a very easy entry).
2. Escape via hallways/stairs and/or basement tunnels. Pros: multiple routes that could be decided in advance, routes are adaptable, gets me off campus in a hurry. Cons: without a clear idea of where the perp is, I could be running into a death trap, or I could end up in a horde of other students.
3. Utilize a creative entry point into the building structure (I know of at least one entrance into the ceiling from the bathroom). Pros: I'm well hidden and it's unlikely the perp will find me there. Cons: I would not be able to likely map it in advance, I would likely have to abandon some of the less athletic or it would take too much time, and the ceiling tiles offer no ballistic protection whatsoever, though I could perhaps find a space that does.
There are, of course, other considerations. In a roof shooter situation, it may be best to hunker down and wait it out. However, knowing the nature of the shooter is probably not going to happen very easily, so it's something else I've been considering.
Thanks for reading my uneducated view of things. Now, I'm interested to hear what others have to say. I realize for some of you this may be like asking whether you'd rather be shot with a 9mm or .45, but this is a very real question to which I very much want to know the answer.
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