In the past few weeks, there have been multiple shootings at nightclubs or bars in Mississippi, and it’s always important to know what to do just in case you are ever in that kind of situation.
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Firearms expert, Cliff Cargill recommends being prepared with an exit strategy before anything happens.
“It’s very important to identify where your exits are. If you came with a group, it may seem over the top, but it should be similar to having a meeting place if your home catches on fire,” he said.
Cargill went on to say that it is not wise to try an engage a shooter because of the environment inside of a club. Adding more firearms to the situation could cause confusion and even additional injuries to innocent people.
“Inside of these nightclubs or bars it’s dark, there are lights, fog machines, so you can be disoriented from the lights and sound. If you’re not properly trained, you could do more damage than good to that situation, and others could mistake you for the shooter,” Cargill said. “There’s really not good training to engage a shooter that’s in a nightclub with hundreds of people in it. The main thing is to hit those exits, and get the people out that you came with.”
If you see something, don’t wait around to see if the situation resolves itself.
“If you see something that is about to go down, get out. Go ahead and leave, don’t wait to see what happens next,” Cargill explained. “Every second that you wait is additional shots fired, and there could be additional injuries, and people could be killed.”
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“Be aware that if you hear a pause in the shooting, that could be a sign that the shooter is reloading, and you can maybe cover 40-50 feet in that time, and you need to look at it in that way because the most important thing is to get away,” Cargill said.
When you do make it out, Cargill says to call 911.
“You have people that want to help and the best way to do so is to get as much information as possible to law enforcement like a description of the shooter or an exact location,” Cargill said.
