Living in the diaspora comes with lots of challenges — one of which is security.

In the United States, black folks are always soft targets for shooters and other forms of street violence. After all, most believed that people of color are foreigners so the native landowners should be superior over them.

Just in 2018 alone, the United States records a staggering 307 mass shooting.

That’s huge! Isn’t it?

Here’s the thing; there 365 days in a year. And out of these days, we had 307 mass shooting.

If maths is still valid today, then there were mass shooting almost every day in the United States in 2018.

Folks, that’s no joke, and you’ve got to take your security pretty seriously.

We are almost at the end of the first quarter of 2018. So far, we’ve witnessed a couple of mass shooting — the recent being the New Zealand shooting.

Make no mistake about this — more mass shooting are on the way. And if you’re not taking practical steps towards your safety and security, then you may be a victim some day.

Yeah! That’s harsh, but it’s life — life is harsh.

Enough of the complaints. Let’s take a close look at how you can take your security to a whole new level.

Imagine this scenario…

You’re in a theater, and out of the blue, a young guy just came in and pointed a raffle into the ceiling — shooting sporadically.

Nope! He doesn’t want to rob the building. He’s just a white supremacist looking for some lives to waste.

What would you do in this instance?

Spoiler alert: The general run, hide, and fight plan won’t cut it here.

Well, here’s what to do.

1. Go for the exit

Whether you’re in a theater or any other place, always be sure of the exit route.

If you’re new in a place, before settling down, identify the exit route.

In the sight of an active shooter, your first line of action should be to go for the exit.

Never use the alarm bell! It may cause lots of confusion and create chaos. Instead of using an alarm bell, you should yell gunman or gun.

Here’s the thing — alarm bells are crowd triggers. It would trigger crowds. And if they’re unlucky, they would be running towards the shooting, creating lots of easy targets.

Furthermore, if the shooter is in sight, run in a zigzag pattern.

Never use the elevator. Stairs are better options. And if you’re up for it, use the window.

Again, go for the exit and save your life.

2. Hide

If escape is not an option, hide!

When hiding, try to deny the shooter access into your hiding space.

That is, run into a room, lock the door or use a barrier to deny the shooter access into your hiding space.

Whatever the case may be, do your best and hide.

3. Seek for help

When in hiding, do not go for your belongings. Remember, the primary objective is to stay alive.

Also, if you’re with your cell phone, call 911 and seek for help.

Maintain silence and try not to alert the shooter.

Stay low and keep a cool head.

4. Your last defense line: Fight

Make no mistake about this — you’re no Tom Cruise and can’t perform those moves you watch you on TV. Therefore, be strategic about your fighting, and only engage if there’s no way out.

Whatever you see, use it and fight — scissors, knives, wood, etc.

Heck! Even your teeth may come in handy.

Don’t go soft! It’s your last shot — make it count and save your life.

When officers arrived at the scene, raise your hands and spread your fingers.

Let them know that you’re not part of the threat.

At the end of the day, you’d live to tell your kids the story of how you escaped the mass shooting.

All in all, stay safe and keep living.

Affiliate Disclosure: USAIG participates in several Affiliate Associate programs. An affiliate advertising program is designed to provide a means for sites to earn a commission and sustain. We may get a commission when you, our distinguished visitors buy products through our links. Your patronage will assist us in conducting more research and paying the bills to keep the website running. USAIG cares!