How should kids react in a school shooting?

[HoreTore]

Yes, but better than nothing when the kids are trapped in a classroom with a shooter. If it doesn't work, then the kids are no worse off, but if they can stop the shooter that would be good.

No. When the kids get shot when they fail to stop the gunman(you're kidding yourself if you think anything else will happen), they're wasting their life as well as valuable time they could've used to run away and live.

Seriously, doing anything else than run when there's a guy with a gun trying to kill you is the dumbest thing you can ever do. And it'll be the last dumb thing you do in your life. The natural instinct is to run. That's what they should do, and it's what gives the best chance of survival.

[Crazed Rabbit]

No. When the kids get shot when they fail to stop the gunman(you're kidding yourself if you think anything else will happen), they're wasting their life as well as valuable time they could've used to run away and live.

Seriously, doing anything else than run when there's a guy with a gun trying to kill you is the dumbest thing you can ever do. And it'll be the last dumb thing you do in your life. The natural instinct is to run. That's what they should do, and it's what gives the best chance of survival.

Maybe you missed the part where I said the kids are trapped in the same room as the gunman. Most school classrooms have one door; the kids cannot run anywhere if the gunman is in the doorway.

Also, you'll be interested to know standard procedure in a school is not to have the kids run, but to lock the door and hide in a classroom if the kids are in class.

Oh, and about kids not stopping a gunman;
http://www.cnn.com/US/9805/21/school.shooting.2/

A male student who had been expelled from an Oregon high school opened fire with a rifle in the school cafeteria on Thursday, killing at least one student, authorities said. They said they are also investigating reports of killings at the boy's home. About 25 other students were reported wounded or injured in the incident at Thurston High School in Springfield.

The gunman, who was taken into custody, was not immediately identified. He had been expelled on Wednesday for trying to bring a gun to class, police said. Witnesses said the gunman was tackled by other students.

Gee, it looks like not running saved lives. So much for being 'dumb'.

CR

[Odin]

Also, you'll be interested to know standard procedure in a school is not to have the kids run, but to lock the door and hide in a classroom if the kids are in class.

Yes your correct. I live in MA actually somewhere near the town in the story. You see in MA you get outside 128 and the outstretched stench of Havard/cambridge and you actually find moderates. Yes the children are kept in the classroom, they do not have the option to get up and run out as the teachers job in this situation is to prevent anyone from leaving the class.

I know this because I was present when the procedures for "school emergencies" were discussed after the college incidents. Essentially what it comes down to is a numbers game.... The assumption is that the shooter will not go into every room and or dosent have enough rounds to kill every kid in every classroom.

So if the classroom he picks has your kid in it, metaphorically you've won the lottery (by the logic of the procedures in place). So even as a parent if you want your kid to run, the teacher who's salary you pay will prevent it or in theory loose there job as violators of the district policy.

Yes, but better than nothing when the kids are trapped in a classroom with a shooter. If it doesn't work, then the kids are no worse off, but if they can stop the shooter that would be good.

Essentially this makes the above statement by rabbit correct. If your child is the lottery winner they can hid in the corner and again hope they dont win the lottery and are selected for execution or they can attempt to bring down the shooter. Somehow for me as a dad if I got that call I would take a sliver of solace knowing my kid tried to fight back rather then hiding in a corner hoping not to die, but people think Im nuts anyway.

The best time to foil a plot is at it infancy when the perp hasnt had the time to prep the situation or take command. Waiting and hoping might save some lives but it dosent negate the potential for a succesful outcome via the alternate route proposed. Of course the first best choice is to run but that isnt an option in a lot of schools now, so if you win the lottery and the guy chooses your kids classroom and the outcome is death, death while fighting back, and fighting back and disarming I'll go with the last 2 options because the result is not predetermined and can result in a positive outcome.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

No. When the kids get shot when they fail to stop the gunman(you're kidding yourself if you think anything else will happen), they're wasting their life as well as valuable time they could've used to run away and live.

Seriously, doing anything else than run when there's a guy with a gun trying to kill you is the dumbest thing you can ever do. And it'll be the last dumb thing you do in your life. The natural instinct is to run. That's what they should do, and it's what gives the best chance of survival.

HoreTore, this is talking about when you are in a classroom, or backed into a corner with no chance of escape. Most classrooms have only one door as well as a few windows, all of which are generally locked and closed when an intruder enters the school. In this common scenario, the students will have no choice whatsoever.

[Louis VI the Fat]

If I look back at Virginia Tech...what if five guys, or ten guys, had gone after the shooter? He can't stop them. He can take out a few, but he will be subdued. It would've saved lives.

It is always frustrating that one guy with a gun can hold fifty, or five hundred people ransom. Quite unbearable. Disregarding al the if's and but's of Rambo fantasies and the danger of lynch mobs and permanently alarmed and scared kids in constant war mode, the point remains that a massive combined attack will take out anybody and will save lives in certain instances. (Flight 93? )
It is better to die on your feet than to die on your knees.



In a weird twist of argument, I am an avid watcher of wildlife films. It always strikes me how five lions can attack a herd of three-thousand zebra. That's an awful lot of beef and hooves. With some co-ordination, the lions would be nowhere. In fact, a few small, weak apes thought pretty much that one million years ago. They got themselves a few sticks and pebbles, learned how to co-ordinate counter attacks, and now every predator in Africa runs for cover when he sees humans.

[Husar]

If I look back at Virginia Tech...what if five guys, or ten guys, had gone after the shooter? He can't stop them. He can take out a few, but he will be subdued. It would've saved lives.

Yes, you go first, I'll be right behind you.

The problem is obviously not about guns or children, rules or even the shooters, the biggest problem is obviously that classrooms lack doors.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Yes, you go first, I'll be right behind you.

It goes without saying that I consider going first an honour and a sacred duty. My personal sense of sacrifice is so strong that in the interest of all I shall make the urge to go first subordinate to the need to coordinate you lot though.

[Fragony]

Argh. School-shootings, Shootings at schools. Isn't it a bit overreacting to call it a school shooting, as if it isn't something that hardly ever happens why make cult out of nothing.

[Tribesman]

Oh, and about kids not stopping a gunman;

Yes they got lucky and tackled him when his gun was empty and he was having trouble reloading it .

Yes, you go first, I'll be right behind you.

Some bastard did that to me once , while two of us jumped the gamekeeper the little git ran in the other direction

[Papewaio]

Fire escape?
Single door, then windows.

Better still multiple doors on opposite sides of the room allowing outside access.

Simply put make it hard for fire or firearms to trap the kids.