Active Shooter Situations

Active shooter situations are unpredictable, evolve quickly, and often happen very quickly. Please be aware that if you are faced with an active shooter scenario, emergency responders may implement several types of activities, such as campus lockdown, shelter-in-place, and evacuation.

Before law enforcement arrives, you must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with the situation. If an active killer is within your vicinity, quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life.

1. Run: Try to evacuate

1. Have an escape route and plan in mind.
2. Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow.
3. Leave your belongings behind.
4. Help others escape, if possible.
5. If necessary, break windows or glass to get out of the area.
6. Run in the opposite direction of the disturbance, cover your head with books or other items for protection, and do not stop running until you are in a safe place.
7. Prevent others from entering the area where the active shooter may be located.
8. Keep your hands visible. As you move through open areas, keep your hands elevated with open palms visible, especially if encountering law enforcement.
9. Do not carry phones or other objects in your hands.
10. Remain in a safe location until you are given the all-clear or further instructions from law enforcement.

2. Hide: Take shelter

If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you.

1. Find a room where the doors can be locked and/or barricaded. If you are in a room that cannot be locked, place large, heavy objects in front of the doorway to impede the path and vision of an intruder.
2. Close and lock windows, doors, and turn off all the lights.
3. Once secured in the room, barricade the door with heavy furniture and take cover behind concrete walls, desks, filing cabinets, and away from windows and doors.
4. Get down on the floor and ensure that no one is visible from outside the room.
5. Silence your phone. Turn off the ringer and vibrate options.
6. Turn off any other sources of noise (radio, TV, etc.).
7. Call 911 or call WSC Campus Security at 402-375-7216 with the following information:
   1. Your location
   2. Intruder’s location
   3. The condition of those around you
   4. If you cannot speak, leave the line open so the dispatcher can hear what is happening.
8. If the shooter leaves the area, evacuate immediately to a safer location and do not touch anything that was in the vicinity of the shooter, as these items could be dangerous to you and others.

3. Fight: Take action against the shooter

This should only be done as a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger in an attempt to disrupt or incapacitate the intruder.

1. Act as aggressive as possible against the killer/intruder.
2. Throw items and improvise weapons.
3. Yell and commit to your actions.