On the day after Memorial Day, my place of work closed for the morning to allow employees to participate in an active shooter training in the library. The plans for this training had been underway for more than a year. The training was indeed in response to the growing number of active shooter situations that have occurred in our United States. Our campus security police division has invested time and talent toward ensuring that we are not unprepared as a community.
The scenario's focus was on safety, rather than full-on response to the emergency shooter spree situation at hand. As targets we were encouraged through our training to get out, hide out or take out the assailant, as the situation deems appropriate. With restrictions on our scenario for 'take out' options, I elected to 'hide out' given the placement, and design, of my own office space. I understand the need to preserve the physical safety of the security officers, and the restrictions placed.
When the scenario began, I could hear distant sounds like scraping and gunfire. I'm blessed to have a husband in the law enforcement field, and we've talked about situations such as these often. I feel prepared as I can be and have worked hard to keep my mind focused on listening and watching. I shut my door and started my fifteen minutes of hiding out. I could hear the assault rifle 'shots' growing closer, but what really hit home was the screaming for help outside my door. I was on the phone with the emergency number we used for the day to report the case to emergency dispatch. I asked if I should open the door to try to bring the hurt employee into my space, but the dispatcher indicated if I was hidden and safe, that I should not open the door. The screaming was silenced within moments from a single 'shot' from a sidearm. It was too late.
The 'shooter' was back in my area and pulling on doorknobs, yelling for a woman, by name, to come out and face him. He just "wanted to talk about it." Our scenario was a disgruntled spouse seeking to put to end a real or perceived affair. I was not willing to go out and talk about things.
After the shooter was 'contained' we were to unlock our doors to allow security to clear the building. In a real-life scenario this would be handled in companion with the keyholder for the library. After having my door opened, and officers requesting I show my hands, keep them raised and move to the designated meeting place, I did so, quite willingly.
We all met at the auditorium to debrief the scenario (there were actually three in play in the building at the same time, on different floors). We shared our observations with the police officers, and received feedback on our behaviour and response to the scenario. Two individuals were shot in upper floors. Some employees got out of the building, some were never seen even though they were hiding out in the open, not behind locked doors with blinds drawn closed.
How has your own institution prepared you for this type of emergency? Are you ready to respond? What would you do in the face of gunshots throughout the library?
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