CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As the nation learned more about the people who stopped the gunman in the Colorado Springs shooting and the countless lives they saved, KRIS 6 wanted to get tips from police on ways to stay safe and ultimately survive an active shooter situation.
“Always walk into a room with a plan of how I'm gonna get out of there,” Travis Pace, a senior officer with the Corpus Christi Police Department said. “Look for the exits. What do I need to do if something bad happens? That you're looking for improvised weapons that you might use to defend your life.”
Pace often gives presentations to businesses and organizations on surviving active shooter incidents, including staff at KRIS 6 News.
According to the FBI, active shooter incidents increased by 52 percent between 2020 and 2021 and the amount of casualties increased by 48 percent.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests first to find an exit and, if there isn’t one, try and find a space with a door that locks and barricade the door with whatever furniture or objects there is to find.
They also recommend people silence their phones, call police and, if they are worried about talking or making noise, leave the line open for the dispatcher to hear what is going on.
Pace said if someone can’t run or hide, fight.
“Typically, by an individual taking action, it empowers other people to join in, which is what is believed to happened in this particular case,” Pace said. “So you know, if your life is in danger, you do what you can to protect your life.”
The DHS has a detailed active shooter response manual on their website.
