Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says there "appears to be multiple victims" as authorities respond to an active shooter in Beam Hall at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
(cheerful teacher voice) "Remember, kids! Training for this life-or-death situation is our part in ensuring that some old fart gets to keep his private arsenal!"
When faced with any sort of violence, those are your best options, in order.
RUN, if you can.
HIDE, if you can.
FIGHT, if you have to.
Guns aren't magic aim-botted kill machines. Plus, these assholes are scared and shaking, not exactly Navy SEALs. So yeah, running is indeed an option, especially if you jack rabbit. Engaging a moving target is far harder than punching holes in paper.
Advice from a military veteran, you can run in a straight line to safety and be fine. Real life guns are not as accurate at video game guns. Ran as fast to safety as you can.
Yup, it's pretty common training in America these days.
First, try to run. Just get out via whichever exit is in the opposite direction of the gunshots. But running isn't always an option. Maybe there are multiple shooters, or you're in an area without a second exit. Pretty common in schools, where each classroom only has one door. So you fall back to the second option:
Hide. Fortify your position if possible. Lock and barricade doors, shut off lights, and find somewhere to hide. You want to make yourself an unattractive target, because mass shooters are looking for easy targets. They want to hit as many people as possible, so they aren't going to waste time searching potentially empty rooms and forcing their way past furniture barricades for what could turn out to be only one or two people. You don't even unlock the door for the police, because it could be a shooter in disguise. If the cops are there, they'll have a master key for the building and will be able to unlock it themselves. But if the shooter does manage to get into your hiding area, that's when you fall back to option three:
Fight. While hiding and barricading, you're also looking for improvised weapons. A broken chair leg, a flagpole with a point on the end to use as a spear, a fire extinguisher to blind and bludgeon, etc... You quietly plan with the others in your hiding area, because you all need to be on the same page: If the shooter is determined to get into your room, every single person in that room needs to be prepared to kill the shooter. It's kill or be killed. Everyone needs to swarm the shooter, don't give them a chance to shoot you one at a time. If five people fight, one or two people may get shot before the shooter is killed. If everyone just freezes, the shooter will kill all five of you. So you all hit the shooter hard, you hit them fast, and you don't stop until they're completely incapacitated.
I got that training when I was a university student a while back. Officer Friendly came and showed us a video about it in the seminar room.
When you hear gunshots, you're supposed to run away (if it seems safe), or hide somewhere and barricade yourself in (if you can't run), or try to surprise and fight off the gunman (if you think your hiding spot is about to be discovered).
I asked if I should run in a straight line or in a zigzag pattern or something. The officer said it's best to run for cover. I asked what to do if there was no cover. I forget what the advice for that situation was. I think the officer said people's aim sometimes isn't that great.
I guess it's better than freezing and waiting to die.
Opps, I just posted something similar. Most gunman don't aim, at all, they just point in the general direction so speed is your friend. Even in combat we noticed few ever properly aim, breathe, and take the time to lead a target. Run like hell and you'll be okay. Standing still or moving slow increase you odds of being hit.
It's the new stop drop and roll. Though I constantly see videos of people on for seemingly taking the active shooter advice and sprinting away from the flames attached to them.
Apparently there may be a 2nd shooter. Another individual with a handgun and banana clip was reported. If it's a "good guy with a gun", he better watch out.