In wake of Allen shooting, experts give advice on personal protection
Broken glass fills this view of sophomore Kritika Kotha’s family car. Kotha’s sister took this picture as she hid in the vehicle, which had been shot at during the shooting at Allen Premium Outlets. The shooting occurred May 6. In the attached article, experts give safety information to implement, including advice to conceal and cover in order to survive this type of situation. “Conceal means I’m hidden, but it won’t stop a bullet, like a bush, thin door, or wall,” former officer Lt. Mike Archibeque said. “Cover means it will stop a bullet and protect you – a concrete wall/pillar or a car engine block. The more items you can put between you and the shooter, the greater the likelihood it will stop the bullets.”
Only 220 days remain in 2023, yet the United States has experienced 241 mass shootings, 16,775 lives lost and 13,657 injured. Frisco Police Department Deputy Chief Mike Hagan said he continues actively to teach students and teachers how to protect themselves in the event of an active shooter – whether in school – or not.
Hagan, who has been an officer for 22 years, has taught active shooter training for the last seven. In his seven years of training and experience, Hagan said he and his team strive to educate people on the history of active shooters and what lessons can be learned.
“The first thing I will always recommend if possible is to run away and get out of the building, school, store, etc.,” Hagan said. “If you think about it, the active shooter can’t shoot what is not there. If running away is not an option, the next best option is to find a hiding spot and barricade the door. Even though the shooter can’t see you and the door may be locked, you want to create a barricade in case the locking mechanism is defeated – and to create another obstacle for the suspect to overcome. Once you are in a safe spot, call 911 and give them as much information as you can while trying to stay as quiet as possible.”
As more shootings arise in Texas alone, Prosper students have voiced that they want more training for the events of an active shooter. Students are taught to lock the door and hide under desks, but, according to experts in the field, taking the extra mile to make an escape or barricade the door and create a self-defense plan, could potentially save more lives.
“We’ve been making school shootings a taboo topic until one happens,” former student Marlee Davis said. “I have a pretty good idea of what to do, but those are all things I learned at my other high school.”
Current Prosper students said they agree the topic of school shootings can be scary and uncomfortable to talk about, but they also understand it is something that needs to be discussed.
“When students are out of school, (they should) always have their heads on a swivel,” Sgt. Chris Reeves of the Prosper ISD Police Department said. “Pay attention to where they park. Choose closer locations if possible. Students should not be distracted with cell phones, and when walking to and from locations, keep their head up and eyes paying attention.”
Hagan agrees students should pay attention to surroundings while inside or outside of school.
“If the student is not able to get out of the building, then their next best option would be to find a classroom to hide in, lock the door behind them and try to stay as quiet as possible. In the past, most shooters are looking for targets of opportunity and often continue to move throughout the building if they see locked doors or no one around,” Hagan said. “The last recommendation if getting out of the building or into a classroom isn’t an option, would be to stay in the bathroom with their feet up on the toilet so it appears no one is there if someone does a quick look under the stall.”
Hagan and his team actively create new plans to keep students and staff safe. By researching tactics used by shooters, the team of trainers accommodates their lesson plans when it is needed.
“If you are in a classroom and can’t escape, we recommend making sure the doors are locked, use what you have available to barricade the door and arm yourself with something to throw or attack the suspect if they were to enter the classroom. For high school students, they could come up with a plan of how to attack the suspect if they enter,” Hagan said. “One example I have used is if I have five older students, assign a body part to each student, so they know who is attacking or grabbing what area (of the body.) You have to have the mindset that you will win the fight at all costs.”
Although school shootings are what the majority of students and teachers fear, shootings can happen anywhere at any time. In the recent mass shooting in Allen, the shooter opened fire in the center of the outlet mall. In 2019, a man opened fire in a Walmart in El Paso. Stonebriar Mall also has experienced threats in the past few years, including an evacuation on the day of the Allen shooting.
“My main goal for everyone is to be aware of your surroundings. When your senses tell you something is wrong, listen to those and remove yourself from the situation,” Hagan said. “Before you park or walk into a store or mall, see what is going on around you – or if someone appears to be overtly watching customers. Once you are inside of a store, restaurant, or any other establishment, make sure you are aware of secondary exits in case of an emergency. Human behavior wants us to leave the same way we entered, but sometimes that is not the best route in an active threat situation.”
According to Hagan, in a situation like the Allen shooting, the best thing for one to do is run and cover themselves behind a barrier. Two words to remember are cover and conceal.
“Conceal means I’m hidden, but it won’t stop a bullet, like a bush, thin door, or wall,” former officer Lt. Mike Archibeque said. “Cover means it will stop a bullet and protect you – a concrete wall/pillar or a car engine block. The more items you can put between you and the shooter, the greater the likelihood it will stop the bullets.”
Lt. Archibeque, former officer of 20 years from the Albuquerque Police Department, has been providing active shooter training since 2010. Archibeque has worked alongside Hagan with active shooter trainings.
“If you are outside and start hearing shots being fired, immediately try to evacuate the area while not running in a straight line,” Hagan said. “This is said because it is easier to shoot someone running in a direct line than a zig zag or curved pattern. We recommend when you are running, try to get behind a brick wall or stone structure that will not allow you to be visible to the suspect but also will help stop bullets from penetrating.”
Social media is a source for threats in schools, malls and other public settings. Two days after the mass shooting in Allen, Prosper received a threat posted on Snapchat, creating panic within the community. The front office found itself flooded with worried parents calls that resulted in more than 200 students checked out of school due to the threat.
“Social media threats are happening more often due to the anonymity that people believe they have when posting. Some threats are vague, but others are more direct and sent by the individual wanting to cause harm,” Hagan said. “In regards to social media threats or any other type of threat, the saying, ‘see something, say something’ could potentially stop an active shooting from occurring.”
With the rise in mass shootings in the local areas and in schools across Texas, students are looking for hope from future active shooter training in Prosper.
“I can’t remember the last time we did a lockdown drill, and especially with everything now, I feel like they need to make them more abundant,” junior Olivia Castro said. “Or, just put us in different situations – like what if a shooting happens during a passing period? Or lunch? There could be so many situations where a student wouldn’t know what to do.”
Your donation will support the student journalists of Prosper High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
