Staying Alive during a Night Out

Staying Alive

It could happen anywhere.  People, out for a night on the town, are exposed to gunfire, and have to scramble for their lives.  This past weekend, it happened in Broad Ripple, an area of Indianapolis that is home to numerous shops, boutiques, and bars.

Shortly after 2am, people who were on the street heard shots ring out.  David Bradshaw was one of the pedestrians.

“I heard this commotion and didn’t think anything of it.  I turned away for like a split second and turned back around  and started hearing gun shots about five or six gun shots.  Then,  I started to see people fall on the ground,” said Bradshaw.

Six males and one female were shot, with one of the victims in critical condition. The police were talking to a person of interest.

Analysis

In Staying Alive: How to Act Fast and Survive Deadly Encounters, there are several concepts that would apply to this tragedy. The first is situational awareness. When out and about, it is imperative to maintain awareness of everything around you. Even if one was not able to notice the gunman, an alert person would have already taken notice of places that could provide cover and/or concealment from a shooter. Situational awareness is covered in Chapter 1.

A second concept is pattern-matching and recognition. People that are carrying weapons act in certain ways. Knowing how these people act, and recognizing those signs can provide an early warning of a person who intends to do harm. Pattern-matching is covered in Chapter 2.

A third concept is preparation. Having a plan in place to address a situation like the shooting can alleviate the intense stress one can feel during a shooting. This ties in with another concept, mental simulation. It is important to not only have a plan, to but to exercise the plan, and the easiest, cheapest way to do this is to mentally simulate a scenario and ask yourself, "What would I do?" By doing this, you can inoculate yourself against stress, and be better able to function if a shooting, or other attack, happens. These concepts are covered in Chapters 7 & 8.

These concepts are a great place to start in Staying Alive. There are others, but having these basic skills can increase your chances of surviving an incident like the one in Broad Ripple.

It is not about becoming paranoid. It is about enjoying life by being prepared for the time when life throws you a curve.

Staying Alive is a primal, instinctive urge in all humans. All you need to do is learn the skills that will help you make it happen.

SPU Hero Releases Statement

SPU Hero

Jon Meis, the man who peppered spray the shooter at Seattle Pacific University, then held him in a choke hold until police arrived released a statement which read, in part,

"To my brothers and sisters at Seattle Pacific University, and my brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the nation and the world,

Words cannot come close to expressing the tragedy that occurred this past week on our campus. Like everyone else, I would hear of these horrible events on the news, but go home knowing that it could never happen to us. On Thursday, my life changed. I was thrown into a life and death situation, and through God’s grace I was able to stop the attacker and walk away unharmed. As I try to return to a normal life in the aftermath of this horrible event, I pray above all things for strength for the victims and their families. While my experience left me in physical shock, I know that many people are dealing with much greater grief than I have experienced, and in honesty I probably would not be able to handle myself right now if I had personally known the victims.

...

However, what I find most difficult about this situation is the devastating reality that a hero cannot come without tragedy. In the midst of this attention, we cannot ignore that a life was taken from us, ruthlessly and without justification or cause. Others were badly injured, and many more will carry this event with them the rest of their lives. Nonetheless, I would encourage that hate be met with love. When I came face to face with the attacker, God gave me the eyes to see that he was not a faceless monster, but a very sad and troubled young man. While I cannot at this time find it within me to forgive his crime, I truly desire that he will find the grace of God and the forgiveness of our community."

Analysis

Jon Meis has followed up his heroic actions with humility and grace.  In Staying Alive, we write about using words to heal, not hurt, after an incident.  Meis' words are a perfect example of how to use words to heal after tragedy.  We write that putting our feelings into words can help a person see the situation more objectively.  Jon has done an excellent job of doing this, and doing so in a positive way.

He is truly a remarkable young man.