Sometimes people will say the only way to stop a person with a gun is with a gun. Sometimes people say that teaching unarmed techniques and tactics to confront a gunman is unrealistic. And the list goes on and on…
I’m not saying that facing a gun empty handed is easy, nor am I saying it won’t be scary and risky. The possibility of being injured or killed is high. But if you can’t escape, if you can’t deny him access to you by locking and barricading, or there are others to protect, attacking back and fighting is a better option that giving up and dying and letting others die.
The fact is, unarmed people, and people armed with less than firearms, have stopped active shooter and other gunmen.
This surveillance video from 2014 shows how Seattle Pacific University student John Meis tackled, then disarmed Aaron Ybarra, who was reloading his shotgun after killing one student and wounding two others.
I don’t know if Meis acted on instinct that day or if he had some training. But there is no doubt he saved lives.
The gunman had already shot one student when student safety monitor Meis comes around the corner with pepper spray. As the gunman goes to reload his shotgun, Meis sprays him in the face, takes him to the floor and wrestles away his shotgun. He runs away with the weapon.
Police say at that point, the gunman, identified as Aaron Ybarra, fumbles with a hunting knife. A few moments later, Meis returns, jumps on the gunman and holds him until help arrives.
By all means, escape if you can. That is your best option, if possible, to keeping yourself from harm. If you can’t escape, but you can lock down and barricade your position to deny the shooter access to you, do that. Barricades have kept people alive.
But if you can’t do either of those, attack back. Fight! If you are armed, use your weapon. If unarmed, use an improvised weapon if available. Fire extinguishers can be very effective. But even unarmed, you can stop a person. If you have training, you will be better off, but even people with little or no training can do something. You don’t have to be a helpless victim. Do something! Fight back!