Comments about ‘Act to survive gunman on a spree’

This is one of the most comprehensive and worthy, practical, and impressive newspaper articles (not a series) that I've come across. Excellent writing, good examples. Give the reporter a raise. Thank you. I enjoyed reading it and I'm going to download it and refer back to it periodically in the future.

Great article. Makes absolute common sense. Having experienced a shooting on my campus this is valuable experience. The issue with our shooting was gang related. The gunment shot a student in the middle of the quad where several thousand students were milling around during lunch and they had not way to get out of sight quickly. Those near the shooter took off running and the rest thought it was simple fireworks. Faculty and students need to know the difference between firecrackers and gunshots. I recognized the sound as a gunshot, but no other faculty near the shooting recognized it as a gunshot. I think my being raised around guns and firecrackers helped me to quickly identify the sound as a gunshot. Fortunately the victim was only hit in the leg because the shooter "panicked" and then took of running. He ran past me along with hundreds of students. This article should be discussed by all school administrators throughout the nation and discussed with teachers.

Who runs to investigate the sound of a gun? If these children are doing this then the parents should wake them up and knock some sense into them. If you hear something that sounds like a gun, firecracker, or any other conceivable sound that would resemble that of a gun DON'T investigate instead RUN AWAY from the sound and only as a last resort confront the gunmen to defend yourselves. If there is no escape then you should kill the gunmen.

But most importantly don't try to be Rambo and try to go find the gunmen and take him out. That's just asking to die even if you have a gun or other weapon. Show some common sense and get the hell out of the situation and wait for police to arrive. If the gunmen finds you then take action.

Also, if it comes between jumping out a window and possibly dying from the fall or being sure to die when the gunmen shoots you then jump out the window but only do so as a last resort. Don't think the shooter doesn't want to die. He does and wants to take you with him

I don't understand how all of these shootings are taking place at schools. Aren't all of these schools "gun-free" zones? Don't the deranged killers understand that they can't have guns on campus? Haven't they read the "zero tolerance policy" for firearms?

I just don't understand.

17.6% more likely? Professor of Killology?
Sorry, this story has a high coefficient of bogusity.

This is a great story idea, but poorly written. I want to know more! Give me source data on the "Deseret News data." Where did you get your numbers? Is it just something the author pulled out of the air? Did you bother to look into any after-action reports from mass murder sprees? It's not like the Deseret News hasn't covered those in the past.

Why not throw a chair or a desk at the gunman?

Maybe it wouldn't be so much like shooting fish in a barrel if the fish could shoot back...

Other ways you can act to survive a shooting spree:

Vote and be politically active in such a way as to prevent politicians from creating meaningless laws that disarm law abiding citizens. Write your representatives. Go to a shooting range with someone who has experience with firearms. Understand how they work and what they can / cannot do. Too many people have no knowledge of firearms other than movies and the news. Take a hunter safety course. Teach children firearms safety. Take the Utah Concealed Weapons permit class even if you don't plan on applying for your permit or carrying. It will help you understand proper safety techniques and the law. If you feel so inclined, get your permit, practice and carry.

Very well written, and very helpful.

" serves as a solemn reminder of the peril students everywhere still face in the classroom."

This is a great article, but its opening makes it sound like it is dangerous to go to school. Let's get some perspective. A person is far more likely to die on the freeway in a car accident. And taking into account the millions of school students in school and for the amount of time they spend there, the chances are probably higher that any given child will be struck by lightning (some estimate this at 1 in 250-800 thousand) than shot by a school gunman.

Interesting and thoughtful story.

However, here in Utah there is another, BETTER OPTION.

Law abiding citizens can get a concealed weapons permit and legally carry firearms in schools. Some school teachers and adminstrators already do. Some college students do as well (if at least 21 years old).

Thus, remember the first rule of gunfighting: BRING A GUN.

Permit holders are not there to replace police officers, or hunt down killers. They simply have another option to defend themselves (and those immediately around them) that is a great deal more effective than ONLY hiding behind desks or barricading doors.

In fact, merely knowing that some teachers and students may be armed may deter a criminal attack in the first place.

However, some private schools can legally impose their own ban on legal self defense weapons, making them attractive targets for killers.

Remember, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

17.6 TIMES more likely, which is 1760% more likely. Learn to read! The aforementioned blogger has a high coefficient of bombasticy.

If we want to buck this trend "active shooters" need to be stripped of identity and future instead of publicized.

If shooters pictures were never shown, names never published, and burried in an unmarked grave, it would rob the act of some of its purpose.

Instead we immortalize and rank the shooters and number/un-name and forget the victims.

Knowing these helpful facts will save a life someday

Thank you for the first reasonable, usable information on surviving a school shooting. We practice lockdown drills frequently, but most shootings occur without time for warning. I plan to teach this to the teachers in my school! I would like to teach it to every student, as well. Knowledge is power!

Thank you for this article. I intend to share it with my students.

That is just about the worst headline I've ever read.

"Act to survive gunman on a spree"

What? A play, as in act? A gunman survival? A shopping spree? I had to read it 5 times to finally get it.

How about:

"When a gunman attacks: Knowing how to survive"

or

"Officials offer tips to survive shooting attacks"

Interesting story. Terrible headline.

While this is a great article and carries some valid points, I completely agree with Frank Azaria @9.47a. We need to stop with the publicity and the immortilization of these perverted individuals. Why do we need to know names and see pictures? Simply put there was a shooting, give me some of the details if you must but stop putting names and pictures in the media ad naseum, it does nothing but encourage these lunatics.

Oh, and yes, everyone should spend time on the shooting range, whether you believe in guns or not there are people that do and you need to be prepared for that.

If a student is almost 20 times as likely to die in a school shooting than in a school fire, should we consider scrapping the outward opening fire-safety-coded-doors? I'm genuinely curious.