Mass Shootings: Why Haven’t We Learned Our Lesson?

Well, it happened again. Another shooting in a public access area. This time at a mall where I live. Current information says that two ‘groups’ (gangs?) decided to hammer things out in a shopping area with innocent people around. The final count is seven victims hurt - three of them shot non-fatally and the others suffering injuries when they evacuated. One of those victims has now perished. The two juveniles that were initially arrested have been ‘uncharged’. The property managers said the mall would be closed July 3. Plans beyond Thursday were not announced.

Now, the local politicians – Mayor, City Aldermen, a State Senator, a congressman, and of course, the Chief of Police and Sheriff, have all made statements. All said the typical “this is terrible”, “this type of behavior has to stop”, “prayers for the victims”, ad nauseam. The same useless inanities that usually sprout at times like these. People will wring their hands and lament that there needs to be more discipline at home, in school, parents/churches need to get involved – “Something needs to be done!” And, if the past is any indication, it will all be forgotten in a week or two.

I will not turn this into a political rant espousing my ideas as to how best address the problems. Rather, I want to focus on the main problem – VCA (Violent Criminal Actors) shooting innocent people in public areas – and what you can do to mitigate the negative consequences if you happen to get caught up in an incident.

Let’s look at some statistics …

National Statistics

· Retail locations - including shopping malls - are the second-most common site for mass shootings (defined as four or more people shot) in the U.S., comprising approximately 16.9% of incidents from 1966–2021. The most common is the workplace at 30.0%, followed by retail outlets, then restaurants and bars (13.4%).

· In 2019 alone, there were 418 mass shootings across 40 states—resulting in 462 deaths and 1,716 injuries. About 21.2% of those shot were killed.

· Significantly, over 20% occurred at or within one block of a school or public point of interest—like malls.

Mall-Specific Incidents

Cascade Mall, Burlington WA (Sept 23, 2016)

· Gunman opened fire inside a Macy’s, killing 5 people with no other injuries reported.

The Mall in Columbia, MD (Jan 25, 2014)

· Shooter entered the Zumiez store, killed 2 employees, injured others, before committing suicide.

Greenwood Park Mall, Indiana (July 17, 2022)

· A rifle-armed attacker killed 3 victims and injured 2 before being stopped by an armed civilian, who fatally shot the perpetrator.

Cielo Vista Mall, El Paso TX (Feb 16, 2023)

· A shooting in the food court left 1 dead and 3 wounded, adding to broader patterns of mall violence.

Allen Premium Outlets, Texas (May 6, 2023)

· Gunman opened fire outside and inside the outdoor outlet mall, killing 8 victims plus himself, and injuring 7 others; the shooter was shot by an on-site officer.

Police Response Time

There is some time that elapses from the first call to the first arriving LEO (law enforcement officer). That can range from 2-3 minutes to 10-15 minutes depending on many factors. 2-3 minutes may not seem like a long time but, to someone in the middle of an active shooter event, it can literally be a lifetime. What follows is an overview of response time data.

· According to the FBI, among 51 active shooter cases where data was available, the median police response time was just 3 minutes from initial notification to first on-scene engagement. (If you don’t think 3 minutes can be a long time, hold your breath for 3 minutes.)

· In many situations, 70% of active shooter events conclude within 5 minutes—often before officers arrive.

Incident Duration vs. Response Time

· Studies show the average length of an active shooter incident is about 12–12.5 minutes, with most individual casualties occurring in the first 5–10 minutes.

· Therefore, even with a prompt response of ~3 minutes, police often arrive after critical harm has already occurred.

Notification Delays

Response time includes multiple segments:

· Detection and reporting – victims or witnesses must recognize and call 911 (typically taking 5–7 minutes).

· 911 processing and dispatching – may add another 4–11 minutes.

· Law enforcement travel to scene – average of ~3 minutes once dispatched.

· Combined, it can take 10–20 minutes from a shooting beginning to police arriving on scene.

What This Means

· Rapid police response is critical but insufficient, given the speed of attacker harm.

· By the time law enforcement arrives, much damage may already be done, which highlights the importance of:

o On-site preparedness (e.g., active shooter training).

o Bystander intervention strategies e.g., Run, Hide, Fight or ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate).

o Immediate medical response (e.g., trauma first-aid, bleeding control).

Final Thoughts

So, if we look at all this information, we see:

- Malls and public spaces are high potential active shooter targets.

- Dozens of victims can be killed or injured in a short period of time.

- Law enforcement is coming but it’s going to take time. You are on your own until then.

- Strengthening preparedness at schools, workplaces, and public venues, alongside enhancing immediate medical interventions, is essential in bridging this critical gap.

The ‘Run-Hide-Fight’ paradigm has been a popular method taught for some time. ‘Evacuate-Hide-Take Action’ is another. Obviously, if you can escape safely, do so immediately! If you can’t, find a defensible position and be prepared to fight.

If you must engage the AS (active shooter), do so with the total intent to completely ‘incapacitate’ him/her – no quarter. It will be neither pretty nor very technical. It will be fast, dirty and ugly. Up close fighting is never ‘clean’. If you are armed, you should still evacuate if possible. You must be selfish in times like this and think about you and your family. If you have the opportunity to take the AS out of the game, do so, again, with the intent of killing the shooter. (Note: Being a single operator it is not recommended that you go looking for the shooter.)

Bottom line is stay alert at all times. Go armed whenever possible. Get some good training. Practice your plan.

BE SAFE • BE EFFECTIVE • BE READY