Surviving an active killer

I have the great honor of hosting a very talented instructor next weekend. Lou Ann Hamblin from Louka Tactical will be teaching a very important class about how to survive an Active Shooter. In today’s day and age this type of event is becoming more frequent and will continue because of the lack of leadership our country has currently in place. Bad policies and laws lead to innocent lives being lost. Do you know what you would do in the event of a mass shooting? Training is an important component to ensure your survival, also having the equipment required to engage the threat or treat the wounded is important. When I am in public I have all the necessary gear, a gun, and a plan just in case something were to happen. I know my exits, I know what is potential cover, and I am prepared. It took years of training to get myself to the level where I am now and I am confident in my abilities. I always want to be an asset to society not a liability. This is how I want you to view yourself as a prepared citizen.

I had the pleasure of meeting Lou Ann from Louka Tactical back in 2019 at a AGAG conference in Texas. We were housemates at the instructor house. I was there to represent the Kids S.A.F.E. Foundation. I was also an RSO for a few other really talented instructors. It was an incredible experience. AGAG is a great organization that involves women in the shooting sports. I was glad I could go support them. I was impressed by Lou Anns experience and how she commanded the range. We hit it off, with nearly 25 years in law enforcement, she has a ton of experience. Later in 2019 I helped her with a few classes in Bend. It was a great time and eye opening really. This first class helped me better shape my views on equipment, tactics, and planning in regards to a potential Active Shooter event. As our society continues to devolve these types of attacks will become more frequent unfortunately. We have to be prepared at all times. This will be the difference of life or death. There will be winners and losers. Training will help you make sure that you are a winner. While training is never a %100 of being a winner, it definitely increases your odds of survival. In an Active Shooter there is going to be complete chaos and knowing what to do will help you, help others. Stop the threat, save who you can save, always be working, and get out alive.

Also in 2019 I had the honor of meeting Dr John Lott at the Gun Rights Policy Conference and I had the opportunity to help Diana Mueller prepare for her upcoming testimony in front of the House Judicial Committee in DC. John is the leading data expert in our country when it comes gun data. The latest data I saw from him and his organization the Crime Policy Research Center is that %94 of all mass killings happened in a Gun Free Zone. That is up from %89 in the previous year. GFZ are all the rage right now with corrupt politicians that violate their oaths of office and accept bribes from special interest groups to further violate our rights. These new laws and policies will do nothing but turn us all into targets. They are using fear and emotion to strip away our abilities to defend ourselves. There is no data that support these further infringements. This is not about public safety, this is all about control. In Oregon, the legislature just passed the most dangerous and sweeping set of laws that are designed to turn law abiding citizens into criminals and actually does nothing to prevent crime. It puts huge targets on our backs!

If you have a gun in a GFZ you have a duty to keep it secure, discreetly hidden and ready to intervene, if you can do so lawfully. Your safety and the safety of your family depends on you having the ability to fight back. Training and conditioning your mind to the proper mindset is as important as having your firearm. As the laws get stricter the need to properly carry and discreetly carry your firearm will go up. Law enforcement does not have a duty to protect you. You are your own first responder, period! The class that we have coming up in a few weeks will help prepare attendees for a deadly encounter. When in public a quality holster, firearm, and a plan will help you come out on top. I typically will know my entry, exit points are and I park my vehicle in an appropriate spot. In my vehicle I will have a rifle, armor, and a medical kit ready to roll. It’s important to have all this equipment secure and out of the view of thieves. Having the ability to respond and the capability will help save lives. Hope and prayers are no longer a solution, the solution is armed, prepared citizens.

In the majority of these Active Killing situations, the mad man goes in and kills as many people, then turns the gun on himself like a coward. In most cases this is their one opportunity to get fame in an infamous way. The problem is that the media glamorizes these events as a way to drum up an emotional response as a way to take more rights away. It is a vicious circle of death and carnage. We need more armed, trained, and prepared citizens in public. This is the way, not more restrictions. There is a huge responsibility that goes into stepping in to stop a shooter. Knowing what potentially could go wrong and mitigating as many risks as possible will help you lesson the chance of any collateral damage. Training will help condition your body to be able to process details quickly, keep your cool, and to act in a professional manner. This will become more important into the future and beyond. In closing the Republic depends on all of us to be prepared for anything. Util next time, be safe!!