5 phases of the active shooter: A tactical reload

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by HK_User, Oct 16, 2015.


  1. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    [​IMG]
    Just as any fight, you either run from the fight or to the fight.
    HK


    Lt. Dan Marcou

    5 phases of the active shooter: A tactical reload
    After the tragedy in Oregon, we must redouble our efforts to energize and educate the public on how they can prevent these shootings by watching for certain common behaviors these killers exhibit
    Oct 7, 2015

    The question is continually asked after every active shooter event: “Can we do anything to prevent this insanity?”

    The answer is, “We can’t prevent them all, but we can prevent many if more people understood the Five Phases of the Active Shooter.” Lives can be saved if the shooter is interrupted during the first four of the five phases these killers generally pass through.

    I developed — and have taught — the Five Phases of the Active Shooter after a great deal of research coupled with personal experiences with active shooters. After the tragedy in Oregon, I believe the conditions are right to do a tactical reload of the Five Phases concept. Take a moment to review the below, and then go out and educate your public.

    1. Fantasy Phase
    During this phase, the wannabe mass-murderer dreams of his day of achieving an historic level of carnage. Often they will write, draw, and post this fantasy in a variety of venues, from their notebook to their Facebook page.

    During this time, this potential demon bereft of empathy is surprisingly likely to share his thoughts and feelings with someone else. If this shared information makes it to the properly-motivated professional, lives can be saved by that professional alerting authorities. That professional might be a teacher, a doctor, a counselor, a therapist or a law enforcement officer.

    Too often, people dismiss these warning signs as “crazy talk” and do not take action because they are afraid of being accused of overreacting. Inaction enables carnage, whereas taking proper action can prevent it.

    2. Planning Phase
    During the planning phase, the potential killer lays out the who, what, when, where, how, and why of his plan. In other words, he will document who he will kill, what he will use to accomplish these murders, and when, where and how the slaughter will take place. In many cases the shooter will intricately explain the reasons for his intended actions.

    Finding the plan on a hard drive or in hard copy form before the event will almost certainly ensure the plan will never come to fruition. These plans — or manifestos — are often so hateful and intent filled they will impact either the length of sentencing and/or treatment, depending on which venue is appropriate.

    When these recorded plans are found in advance of the attack, lives will be saved.

    3. Preparation Phase
    After forming the plan, the mass-murderer-in-waiting must gather the items he needs to succeed. He must buy or steal the tools required to deliver death and destruction. The suspect will also visit the scene to gather intelligence as he finalizes the plan.

    The preparation phase is an opportunity for a family member, citizen, school employee, businessman, or police officer to take notice of the suspicious nature of the accumulation of information and equipment. Relaying suspicions here may also save lives.

    4. Approach Phase
    This phase affords an opportunity for an alert citizen or police officer to notice someone dressed for combat approaching a school, hospital, mall, theater, or church carrying a weapon, or weapons. If the citizen calls 911 or officers spot the suspect, the soon-to-be killer can be stopped prior to reaching his target.

    The “Terry Stop” is an invaluable tool for situations such as this.

    5. Implementation Phase
    Regardless of motivations, once they start killing these attackers are going for top score. What is needed is an immediate, effective, efficient act of courage. Seconds lost equal lives lost. An honorable gunfighter needs to intervene, take the shot and make that shot.

    Even if unarmed — when fleeing is not an option — many potential victims have chosen to fight. Many shooters have been thwarted by an immediate, aggressive unarmed response by those who refused to “go quietly into that good night.”

    It Could Happen To You
    Officers out there must be alert to the fact that you may cross paths with an active shooter during the first four phases. Your powers of observation, your determined investigation techniques, and your grasp of how to apply the rules of arrest, search, seizure, or the emergency detention of the dangerously mentally ill may result in you saving lives.

    You also have to realize it is becoming more and more likely that you may be the first honorable gunfighter to arrive at the scene of an in-progress active shooter — on duty or off. You may have to ask yourself, “Do I wait for back-up or do I advance alone?”

    Realize, however, that when you hear those shots and screams, your feet are likely to decide for you. Most of you will find yourself instinctively drawing your weapon as you “ride to the sound of the guns.” Prepare!
    5 phases of the active shooter: A tactical reload

    Edit- Link added to credit the original source.
    YD
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 17, 2015
  2. reinkefj

    reinkefj REINKEFJ

    I'm just a retired fat old white guy injineer who's now a poor old senior citizen on a fixed income, I have no particular expertise in "active shooters". I do note in the stories, reports, and accounts on these incidents, that often the shooter is "busy" -- reloading, distracted, has a jam, or what not. It would seem to me that at that point in time, he (and it's always seems to be a he, who has been on SSRIs), could be rushed. Having seen accidents with pencils from my time on the first aid squad, that might be the only weapon needed to save lives. Now I'm not saying that's the optimum weapon, solution, or result, but just that it might be the only way to survive. A pencil to the neck, thigh, or eye might ruin the best laid plan of a murderer.
     
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  3. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned



    "......I do note in the stories, reports, and accounts on these incidents, that often the shooter is "busy" -- reloading, distracted, has a jam, or what not. It would seem to me that at that point in time,"....
    Don't plan on that maneuver being safe. You have @1/2 a second for that mag swap, and you can't cover two steps in that time. The shooter will have practice over and over, and over. This is the focal point of his existence, while you have nothing but adrenaline and opportunity, with whatever weapon is at hand. Even those with new CC permits often fail big time when faced with an active shooter situation.
    I watched a documentary on CC training on concealed cameras. The active shooter team took out the entire class without a loss, most of the students without even firing a shot.
    All guns were paintball type, and the final test was not announced before hand.
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2015
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  4. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    The article below is a bit more descriptive as how, why and when people react in a live shooting experience.

    Being ready and determined to follow through action is the best bet you have in stopping an "Active Shooter"

    http://www.povn.com/4n6/RctnTm.pdf
     
  5. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    .365 seconds, by your data. (Officer knows he is going to fire, and has finger on the trigger.
    Followed with the 21'rule (closer to 25') means if you are not right on top of the attacker, at the time he starts shooting, you WILL likely be shot. You will not have time to close with him, unless he is busy with another target.
     
  6. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    True enough, but I might have enough time to obtain a sight picture of him and squeeze of one or two while he is distracted.
     
  7. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Yes, if you happen to have a gun.
     
  8. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    But.... I always have a gun... :cautious:
     
  9. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    Or two.
     
  10. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    How did you know... :censored:
     
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  11. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    Any one who carries should have a back up. Faster than a reload.
    And that was how I trained.
     
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  12. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    I do not yet have a CC. I expect to get shot on the way in, if I can't find something sharp to throw.
     
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  13. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    You said you expect to be a victim of a active shooter..... sorry to hear that. When one runs to confront some action by another, one should have the tools in hand to make that task appropriate to the use of force by the other. If you are running in to save the life of a loved one.... rationality has flown out the door... I understand that. But if you are closing to make contact with a shooter, as a bystander, you need to have the means to do the job you intend... not hope and a prayer. You can pray later on for the gift to save a life, but not while you are in the midst........ IMO.
     
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  14. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    That is not quite what I said.
    ...meaning I can't count on having the best tool for the job available, if it were to happen today. I, like most people, would have to rely on what was at hand. I expect, if that were the case, I would take a bullet or two while doing what I had to do.
    How much damage is done, would depend upon a lot of factors, but I expect to take more damage in the doing than you.
    (This is a realistic expectation, due to the fact I'm not bulletproof)
     
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  15. AxesAreBetter

    AxesAreBetter Monkey+++

    Melee guys have there own skill sets. Don't count him out that easy.
     
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  16. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

    If ever I'm faced with a crazy shooter absolutely nothing is sacred in my resolve to take him out
    Books Backpack laptops Desk stick etc etc
    I intend to disarm and blind the crazy with any means necessary
    I pray it never happens
     
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  17. chimo

    chimo the few, the proud, the jarhead monkey crowd

    Me too, but if someone is shooting people it kinda shrivels up and is in no shape to be shooting...in those situations I have to rely on my firearm. :whistle:

    We're lucky these mutts normally don't train to any level of combat competency, otherwise the death tolls of these things would be much higher and those reloads would happen too fast for anyone unarmed and not in close proximity to do much to end the threat.
     
  18. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    I guess I'd rather rush them while "plowing the field" with 9mm or .45ACP, just sayin'. They have to switch firearms, or reload at some point, or may be distracted as they come to some distorted realization of what they are doing. Just enough time for someone to advance behind a wall of bullets and take them out. The rub comes when there is more than one active shooter . Then, as a solo responder your tactics must adapt to the situation. I'm saying, be smart here, not John Wayne.
     
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  19. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    Couple flaws here.

    First; most nut cases who do this are not experienced shooters. They do not sit and practice reloading their firearms for hours so they can do 1/2 second reloads, even if the nutter had a reload handy. They don't carry reloads (or other guns for that matter) anywhere where they can get at them easily. The victims make it easy for them by doing nothing to stop the nut job(s) and standing there instead of....well...anything.

    Second; the victims just sit or stand there and allow themselves to be shot. Columbine, U of V, movie theater, Oregon State, etc. NONE of them rushed the attacker, either en-mass or as a single person. They all just stood there (cowered, ran around in circles, whatever) and allowed themselves to be shot. If even ONE person had provided for their own defense, even throwing a book at the shooter (What? You didn't want to make him mad when he shot and killed you?!) almost all of these shootings would have been prevented, or at the very least would have been no where as bad.

    Three; in ALL cases, the police sat outside until the shooting was over. Don't expect the police to do anything until it is all over. Period. You are on your own.

    Four; that .365 second response time assumes a trained and willing shooter response. Ever watched cops shoot? 99.999% of them never shoot their guns outside of mandatory training and expecting them to do anything isn't gonna happen. At my club we allow cops with duty gear to shoot free. Other than the ONE cop who shoots with us regularly (and with game gear) NONE of the cops cleared leather in less than EIGHT seconds! PERIOD! Ten to twelve seconds, or LONGER, was the norm. I practice with a carry holster and can get off six to seven (on a really good day I can get off eight) aimed rounds from the holster in under three seconds and am solidly in the middle of the shooters who shoot there.

    Five: these are defense free/victim rich zones. You are not going to have a gun (or two) legally, if at all. If you try to get in with a firearm it it FAR more likely that you will be stopped and arrested than the loon. And in most cases the nut case that claims he will have a gun or two with him at these places is far loonie than the nut case that does the shooting. At least the shooter follows through while the nutter sits in his barkolounger in his mothers' basement making wild and asinine claims of what he would do or was trained to do while in fantasy-land.

    Six: everyone defaults to their level of training. The nutter in his mothers' basement who makes big claims (and I have met lots of them and read more of this drivel on the net) would wet his pants and round around in a circle if confronted. I am not making that up. I actually saw it. Oh he would do this, and he would do that, he was trained to do this, he was trained to do that. As a joke we pulled one of these (here's your chance, go get 'em!) on one of these dolts and he literally dumped in his drawers, wet himself and (literally) ran around in circles. Did it the second time too when it was a semi-real but totally safe case. I expect nothing but the same from the hyper internet losers who try to make themselves look less small by making wild claims and are always attacking other from behind a keyboard with mod mommy to protect them from the big bad truth tellers when their attacks get too much.

    Seven: Most of these seem to be red-flags. The black homosexual Obummer supporter doper who killed the reporter and cameraman. Look at the footage the cameraman filmed. Sure LOOKS like a set up! The movie theater shooter by passed how many theaters to go to the defense free theater? OR State? Black homosexual Obummer supporter druggie and Obummer was claiming this proves we needed more gun control as it was going on! Go look at the OKC bombing and read the Congressional Hearings. Go look it up yourself. If you are too lazy or stupid to look it up yourself I'm not going to do it for you. I'm tired of the users trying to use me to do what they should do for themselves. If they can't do that little NOW, what makes you think they will do anything LATER? Except blow smoke and attack their betters I mean.
     
  20. chimo

    chimo the few, the proud, the jarhead monkey crowd

    "plowing the field" tends to get bystanders shot. The 4 rules apply just as much in real situations as they do in training. My point is, if the shooter is well-trained, he/she has a plan and the muscle memory to carry out that plan, while you on the other hand are taken by surprise and have your own thought processes muddled with silly thoughts like plowing fields.

    In both defensive and offensive operations, your brain and your wits are your best weapons...and without them a firearm is no better than a boat anchor.
     
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