This Colorado station just offered invaluable advice in case of a mall shooter:
Mall Shooting: How to Protect Yourself
Local News Posted on December 6th, 2007 by Sarah Brodhead.
The mall shooting in Omaha has a lot of people wondering if it could happen here.
Local authorities and mall officials say you can't prevent this type of tragedy... but you can prepare for it.
"When I was leaving my house for the mall this morning, I wondered if I should go considering what happened," says Megan Stenhouse, a mother of four young children. "I'd like to think that it wouldn't happen here," laments shopper Kathy Schied. But it could happen anywhere.
"In a case like a mall shooting, you should avoid the threat," says Grand Junction Police Department officer T.J. Rix.
Authorities say they do have plans in place if a shooting happened here, however, mall security is being tight-lipped about what those plans actually are.
"All of our security officers go through a comprehensive training program," says Paul Petersen, general manager of Mesa Mall.
Police say if a shooter opened fire in a store with direct exits, you should go outside.
If you're in a store wedged between others, it's best to go to the back, get down, and stay out of sight.
You should also be aware of your surroundings and don't put yourself in a vulnerable position.
http://krex.tv/modules/news/article.php?storyid=802By the way, one of the 911 calls is chilling not because of what you hear, but because of the blase response of the dispatcher. The person calling didn't want to talk, obviously, for fear of being heard, or perhaps they'd been shot. But you can clearly hear:
"911, please state your emergency."
*BLAM BLAM BLAM* *BLAM*
"911....hellloooo....please state your emergency."
*BLAM BLAM BLAM*
*silence*
"Hellloooo....."
It was
really freaking obvious that it was rifle fire, even in the recording, with the echo of an indoor space.
So much for "the police will arrive quickly". It took them six minutes.