An active attacker is a person who is engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area armed with a firearm, knife or any other type of weapon. Usually, there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. These situations are dynamic and evolve rapidly, demanding immediate deployment of law enforcement resources to stop the attack and mitigate harm to innocent victims.
In general, how you respond to an active attacker will be dictated by the specific circumstances of the encounter, bearing in mind there could be more than one attacker involved in the same situation. If you find yourself involved in an active attacker situation, try to remain calm and use these guidelines to help you plan a strategy for survival.
Avoiding an active attacker situation is Buffalo State University’s top priority. Every student, faculty and staff member should always be aware of their surroundings. If you hear someone making a threat or see someone acting suspiciously, report it to the University Police at (716) 716-878-6333.
Characteristics of an armed individual: This not a complete list. Just some things to be aware of.
- Clothing
-Does the clothing match the season?
-Warm weather and person is wearing heavy coat, zipped up.
-Shoes/boots
-Is one of the jacket pockets weighed down? Hanging lower on one side.
-Military or tactical clothing.
- A person who carries a firearm will touch the firearm often.
-Touching, feeling, adjusting. If firearm is tucked in a waistband and not a holster, the firearm will slip and will need to be adjusted.
-Backpack or other type of bag. Continuously touching, reaching inside, or looking inside bag.
- Walking awkwardly.
-Nervous. Erratic behavior.
-Not bending their knee, possible rifle or shotgun hidden in pant leg.
-Firearm tucked in sock or boot.
Active Shooter OUTSIDE your building
- Immediately proceed to a room that can be locked/barricaded. Do Not panic. Remain calm.
- Close and lock all windows and doors and turn off lights.
- Silence your cell phone and stay as quiet as possible.
- Crouch down in an area out of sight from the door or windows and conceal yourself as much as possible.
- Call University Police at (716) 716-878-6333 and advise them of what is happening, your location, and any description of the shooter you might have (i.e. what shooter is wearing).
- An unfamiliar voice may be the shooter attempting to lure victims from their safe space; do not respond to any voice commands until you can verify with certainty that they are being issued by a police officer.
- Remain in your location until the police or campus administrator instructs otherwise.
Active Shooter INSIDE your building
- If the room you are in can be locked, do so immediately. Lock/barricade the door.
- Turn off the lights.
- Crouch down in an area out of sight from the door or windows and conceal yourself as much as possible.
- If your room cannot be locked, determine if there is a nearby location that can be reached safely, or if you can safely exit the building.
No matter what the circumstances, if you decide to flee during an active shooting situation, make sure you have an escape route and plan in mind. Do not attempt to carry anything while fleeing; move quickly, keep your hands visible, and follow the instructions of any police officers you may encounter. Do not attempt to remove injured people; instead, leave wounded victims where they are and notify authorities of their location as soon as possible. Do not try to drive off campus until advised it is safe to do so by police or campus administrators.
Active Shooter IN your classroom or office
- Call University Police at (716) 716-878-6333, if possible.
- If you get through to the University Police but are unable to speak, leave the line open so the dispatcher can hear what is going on.
- If you are unable to escape or hide, it may be possible to negotiate with the shooter.
- As a last resort, FIGHT. Try to overpower/disarm shooter. Use whatever you can as a weapon.
Three basic Active Shooter Response Actions:
- RUN/Escape
-Have an escape route in mind
-Evacuate quickly (even if others don’t agree to follow)
-Leave your belongings
-Help other escape if possible
-Keep your hands visible
-Follow any instructions from police
- HIDE
-Lock/barricade your door
-Stay down out of the shooter’s line of sight
-Use Cover and/or Concealment
Cover
Object behind which you can hide that protects you from gunfire either by stopping or deflecting the bullet/projectile (i.e. brick wall, dumpster, vehicle pillars)
Concealment
Object behind which you can hide from an attacker, but will not stop or deflect a bullet/projectile
- FIGHT
-As a last resort, if your life is in imminent danger, attempt to overpower/disarm the shooter
-Try to grab/take control of the firearm.
-Be as aggressive as possible in engaging the shooter. Yell, scream.
-Use anything as a weapon that you can
-Commit to your actions
-Don’t give up.
Note: When law enforcement first arrives on scene, they will not immediately render aid and will bypass any wounded victims. They make their way to the shooter in order to neutralize the threat.
Remain calm and follow the instructions from law enforcement
- Drop any items in your hands
- Keep your hands open and visible at all time
- Avoid quick movements towards the officers
- Do not ask questions when evacuating
