How to improve your chances against an active shooter: What to know

– Hiding under a desk might be a natural response to an active shooter in your building, but it may actually increase your chances of being shot.So say experts who study mass shootings and train people to survive them."Basically, what we found was lockdown training, it really does not mitigate casualties, what happens is it actually increases the casualty rates in a room," said Joe Hendry, director of risk assessment for the ALICE Training Institute, a company that trains police officers and others to respond to active shooter situations. (Photo: Bill Bresler, Hometown Life)When running or barricading in a safe place aren't options, experts say that as a last resort, attacking the gunman can save lives."It depends on spacial proximity," said Detroit Police Sgt. Rick McLatcher, who has taught active shooter training to more than 3,500 people in the past four years. "If somebody is near the shooter, you know, within 20 feet, you really almost lose the option to barricade your space unless you happen to be in a separate room and you can close the door."In that case, it may be best to attack the shooter, using whatever happens to be handy: a pen, a desk chair, a fire extinguisher, etc.McLatcher said at that range, research shows it's easier for a gunman to shoot someone fleeing in the back than it is to shoot someone who is charging at them."If I'm the bad guy, and I'm operating with no resistance, my stress level is lower, my accuracy is higher," he said. It's a stress inoculator."Research into the best way to respond to active shooters is still evolving, but some trends are becoming clear, said Cheryl Lero Jonson, a criminal justice professor at Xavier University in Cincinnati.She was part of a research project in 2017 that used simulations to gauge the effectiveness of different responses from people under attack.