1. Active Shooter Response / Solo Engagement
Craig James
Trevor Fowler
Active Shooter Response / Solo Engagement

2. Solo Engagement Training
Provide officers with the mental and physical skills to attract the attention of the active shooter away from the potential victims, confuse and frustrate the shooter, and allow the ability to successfully neutralize the situation.

3. Objectives The student will have basic understanding of:
Characteristics of an active shooter
Evolution from Team to Solo Tactical Responses
What to expect on the scene of an Active Shooter Incident.
Proper Mental Attitude Needed to Encounter an Active Shooter
Effects of Stress on the body
Tactical Breathing
Common Engagement Tactics Used to Encounter Active Shooters (Including Solo Engagement)

4. Objectives Continued…
The student will demonstrate the following through practical exercises and scenarios
Officer Safety
The Tactical and Mental Skills Learned
Solo and Team Tactics
Actors, Air Soft Weapons and Protective Gear Will Be Used.

5. Active Shooter
One or more subjects whom have used, is using or threatens to use a weapon to inflict deadly force on others, and/or continues to do so while having unrestricted access to additional victims.
Prior actions demonstrate intent to continuously harm; objective appears to be mass injury or murder.
Suicide likely to be the end result .

6. ACTIVE SHOOTER FACTS Higher hit rate due to static targets.
They hunt defenseless innocents, typical AS not capable of “competing” on a level playing field.
They have absolute control over life and death until they stop at their leisure or are stopped.
They do not take hostages or negotiate
Generally, they avoid police, they do not ambush armed adversaries.
Typically they fold upon armed confrontation.
Surrender or escape attempts rare.
Most police officers have already faced worse opponents from a personal safety standpoint.

8. Prior to LE Arrival 49% Ended with out LE on scene.
67% AS ended incident (34)
29 Committed Suicide
5 Left the Scene
33% Potential Victims at the Scene Stopped the Shooter (17)
14 cases they physically subdued the attacker
3 cases involved people at the scene shooting the suspect

9. When LE Arrived 51% were still ongoing
Of these 40% stopped themselves (21)
15 of these committed suicide
6 of these surrendered
Of these LE used force to stop suspect 60% of the time (32)
23 of these involved LE shooting the suspect
9 cases involved LE subduing suspect by means other than firearm

10. Characteristics of an Active Shooter
Many AS use sniper tactics or remain actively mobile.
Active Shooter events are dynamic, but may change between “active” & “static”.
Active Shooters typically continue their violence despite the arrival of police.
Tactics such as containment or negotiations may not be adequate.
Rifles, explosives, body armor, extra ammunition, booby traps, edged weapons are not uncommon.
This is PLANNED by the Active Shooter.
Active Shooters may be suicidal – Good % end this way
Active Shooter’s usually are familiar with the building or location they choose.

11. Active killer hunting victims
Chilling New Video of the Navy Yard Shooter [720p].mp4

12. How are “Active Shooter/Killer” situations different?
Not a hostage situation.
Not a stand off.
Not a barricaded perpetrator.
But can transition to one of these and back.

13. IMMEDIATE/RAPID DEPLOYMENT - The swift and immediate deployment of law enforcement resources to on-going, life threatening situations where delayed deployment could otherwise result in death or serious injury to innocent persons.
DYNAMIC SITUATION - The situation is evolving very rapidly along with the suspect’s action (active gun fire!).
STATIC SITUATION - The situation is not evolving or in motion, the suspect actions appear to be contained.

14. RAPID DEPLOYMENT RESPONSE
The Rapid Deployment (R/D) active shooter response came out of the Columbine tragedy (1999)
Pre Columbine: establish perimeter and call SWAT
Post Columbine: engage and neutralize the threat
Theory originally out of LAPD / NTOA
Many variations on the theme exist today! (run-hide-fight, A.L.I.C.E., The Diamond)

15. STANDARD TACTICAL APPROACHES
Team movement was focus post Columbine
Contact Team generally utilizes one of several tactical formations:
Diamond (four-five operators)
Large T (four-five operators)
Arrowhead (four-five operators)
Small T (three operators)
Broken Arrow (three operators)
Wedge or ‘Y’ (three operators)
Do you want to wait for back up while people are actively being killed????

16. WHY ARE THESE TACTICS FLAWED FOR FIRST RESPONDERS?
Average Response Time for armed officers is likely to be 5 – 20 minutes.
Recent study puts median response time at 3 min (dispatch to arrival???)
The average duration of Incident with Active Shooter is 3 – 4 minutes.
The average time per Injury/Kill is 15 seconds.

17. MORAL DILEMMA We all go home at the end of the shift. Right???????
Remember the Safety Priorities.
1. Safety of the Innocent (those who encounter the active shooter).
2. Safety of third parties (those who may encounter the active shooter).
3. Safety of Law Enforcement and Emergency Responders.
4. Safety of Suspects.

18. THE NEW PHILOSOPHY
Many dangerous situations begin with one officer taking action while backup en route.
Solo Responder is guaranteed an avalanche of resources coming fast on their heels (will not be alone for long).
The typical Active Shooter is not a conventional criminal predator but a cowardly revenge seeker.
Officers need to learn valid and aggressive tactical principles.

19. ISRAELI MODEL Change in tactics for the 1st of the First Responders.
Military Tactics.
Speed, Surprise, Violence of action, etc
Close in aggressively & finish the fight.
Momentum of battle, keep them reacting.
Swift application of DEADLY FORCE.

20. Our Goals Rapid Deployment Awareness Intervention Decisiveness EMS
Get in and end it quickly. Time = Lives
Awareness
What is the situation?, Officer Safety...
Intervention
Shooters ability to kill Innocence.
Decisiveness
Having the power to determine an outcome
EMS
Allowing access sooner. Time = Lives
Recovery
Start the healing and to return to normal.
(have you heard of “warm zone” tactics???)

21. RESPONDER MINDSET
Prepare for the fight of your life. You are hunting for a killer
Pre-plan – war games, train, rehearse in your mind what you will do.
Have the right equipment / training
Prepare to be on your OWN
Know your limitations. Can you push beyond them?

22. RESPONDER MINDSET
Recognize 360 degree vulnerability; horizontally and vertically.
Do not “clear” ALL rooms; advance swiftly, pass injured persons/harmless distractions and engage the Active Shooter(s).
Who are else may be armed & active, (CCW, Off Duty)

23. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE
Prepare for this Mentally, Emotionally and Physically!
It will be loud, confusing, smelly, gruesome and dynamic.
Victims hiding, confused and frightened – not responding to Law Enforcement directions.
Carnage.
Fire alarm sounding, strobe lights, sprinklers activated
Floor could be hazardous (blood, water, glass, debris etc)

24. LEVELS OF COMPETENCE
Unconscious Incompetence – You’ve no idea what you are going to do
Conscious Incompetence – You know you are not prepared for this
Unconscious Competence – You will rely on your training
Conscious Competence – You are prepared, thinking rationally, ready

25. Remember and apply the basics.
Angle of approach
Stairs
Weapon manipulation
Equipment familiarity
Handcuffing
Verbal commands, etc.
When Contact is imminent:
Work your angles.
Stick to the basics.
Watch your environment
Shadows
Reflections in Glass
Sounds

26. PLAIN CLOTHES / OFF DUTY
Be alert to your surroundings.
You may be mistaken for a “bad guy” by other responding personnel.
Where is your ID & badge?
How will you identify yourself – from front and rear?
Comply with any commands given to you by other responders, especially uniformed personnel.
Others may also not be in Uniform.

27. EFFECTS ON YOUR BODY
This is NOT something you can train realistically for!
Expect to experience the following:
Hyperventilation.
Accelerated heart rate.
Adrenaline rush.
Deterioration of the cognitive thought process – confusion
Diminished fine motor skills.
Diminished hearing.
Perceptual distortion.
Tunnel vision.

28. How to Do Tactical Breathing
Breathe from your diaphragm. Your stomach expands, moving out to make room for the air, as you breathe in, and contracts as you breathe out.
Breathe in through your nose to the count of 4.
Hold your breath to the count of 4.
Breathe out through your lips to the count of 4.
Repeat until you feel your body and mind relax.

29. Position SUL
Support hand palm flat against body, fingers extended and parallel ground, support hand thumb pointed up
Strong hand grip on handgun. Finger off trigger
Muzzle pointed at ground between the feet.
Side of handgun against the back of support hand.
“Thumb to Thumb”
Elbows relaxed against the shooter’s sides.
To engage threat - push handgun away from body, allow hands to pivot at thumbs, hands come together in a firing grip.
Trigger finger is straight until the sights are on the target.

30. Isosceles or HK Stance
Basic stance most people will take instinctively in high stress situations with body square to threat.
Thrust gun with arms straight
Shoulders perpendicular to target
Arms, elbows & wrists locked
Feet shoulder width apart, pointing toward target, with knees slightly bent.
Arms and shoulders make isosceles triangle, giving the stance the name.
Important not to lean your entire upper body forward with thrust.
Females - curl your hips forward to flatten out the curve of your lower back.

31. Point Shooting
An entire methodology and theory of combat shooting - Not a stance
Advantage is ability to put rounds on target much quicker than other methods
Simply point weapon at target, as if pointing with index finger
Instantly achieves rounds on target with center-of-mass hits
For reasonable combat ranges (maybe out to 50 feet)

32. Point Shooting Look at the red “O”. Close your eyes.
With your eyes closed point your finger at where you think the red “O” is located.
Open your eyes.

33. Ways to negotiate corners
Use of mirrors – Slow but safe.
Quick-peak – Lack of weapon gives away position.
Slicing-the-pie – Exposed to threat, Weapon Ready
Israeli Lean – Less Exposure, Weapon Ready

34. Clearing – Cutting the Pie
The issue with this is you are exposed at the same time the threat is revealed.

35. The Israeli Lean
Assume the Isosceles or HK Stance and maintain throughout maneuver
Lean sideways so the upper diagonal portion of the body is leaning past the cover.
Only head and a diagonal line from one shoulder to the waist on the other side are visible.
Stand a few feet away from the wall.

36. The Israeli Lean
This method provides significant cover in comparison with the “slicing-the-pie” .
The ability to engage and eliminate threats upon recognition is a major advantage

37. Israeli lean

38. Israeli lean
KAPAP ACADEMY LLC - Israeli Dynamic Entry Active Shooter Response [360p].mp4

39. Support Side or Shoulder bump
Transition weapon to support hand when needed.
What about Long Guns? - Two options.
Switch hands “grip to Support”
Shoulder Bump keeping same hand position just transfer shoulders. Keep in mind you may have to adjust your sling.

40. Modified Prone

41. Hallway Movement Use Center of Hall. Take advantage of Angles.
Allows better lines of sight.
Protects from ricocheting rounds.
Take advantage of Angles.
Do not flag entries and exits.

42. 1 Adam 12…. 1 Adam 12… (just because it’s old does not mean it’s outdated!)
How to Win a Gunfight - Shoot a Gun - Shooting For Survival FBI Training Video [360p].mp4

43. Angles and Speed will become your rear cover.
As you get closer to a doorway you’ll be able to see more of the interior of the room. Granted you will not be able to see the entire room from the hallway, but you will have been in a position to have cleared a substantial portion from the hall.
Choose a threat and take it.

44. Doorway Hazards Don’t stay in the in the threat zone.
As you get closer to a doorway you’ll be able to see more of the interior of the room. Granted you will not be able to see the entire room from the hallway, but you will have been in a position to have cleared a substantial portion from the hall.
Don’t stay in the in the threat zone.

45. Hallway to Room Entry Your Speed Gives Him No Shot
Aggression, Angle, and Speed minimize exposure.
Clear as much as possible without making entry and without exposing “6”.
As you get closer to a doorway you’ll be able to see more of the interior of the room. Granted you will not be able to see the entire room from the hallway, but you will have been in a position to have cleared a substantial portion from the hall.
Only enter as far in and as far deep as necessary.
“One step in, one step deep”.
*** Clear deeper if needed ***
Get behind cover/concealment as quick as possible.

46. Re-entry to Hallway / Other Threat
Maintain Speed and Aggressiveness while quickly clearing entire area from small footprint.
Turn away from the wall.
As you get closer to a doorway you’ll be able to see more of the interior of the room. Granted you will not be able to see the entire room from the hallway, but you will have been in a position to have cleared a substantial portion from the hall. ?
Constant Movement makes you a very hard target

47. Re-entry to Hallway / Other Threat?
As you get closer to a doorway you’ll be able to see more of the interior of the room. Granted you will not be able to see the entire room from the hallway, but you will have been in a position to have cleared a substantial portion from the hall.
Do Not Back into a Gunfight !

48. Re-entry to Hallway or Other Threat
Work the Angles.
As you get closer to a doorway you’ll be able to see more of the interior of the room. Granted you will not be able to see the entire room from the hallway, but you will have been in a position to have cleared a substantial portion from the hall.
Do Not Back into a Gunfight !

49. Re-entry to Hallway or Other Threat
As you get closer to a doorway you’ll be able to see more of the interior of the room. Granted you will not be able to see the entire room from the hallway, but you will have been in a position to have cleared a substantial portion from the hall.
Continue to the fight!

50. Clearing a “T”-Intersection

51. Targeted Fire

52. Round Accountability Can you let him get into a class room?
Are you authorized to shoot?
Is you gear capable of making a 100 yard shot? How about you?
Can you shoot the Person?
Is your weapon only good for killing?
Gunman w/hostage
120 feet
Dead body

53. Targeted Fire AGGRESSIVE TACTICS:
During an Active Shooter incident, close and engage with the suspect. If the suspect is engaged by you, they may not be able to hurt others during that contact. Additionally, if the suspect is actively injuring others, they are generally not prepared for your attack. This is a good time to strike!
Be prepared to use direct fire at suspect and use movement techniques. JUSTIFICATION?
DELAY:
One police officer firing from behind effective cover inside a school may hold off a group of attackers for several minutes and save lives by buying time for help to arrive and to let students evacuate.
Source: Active Shooter, Manual of Guidance, FBI, 2009

54. Know what you have to do and be committed to do it.
Decisiveness
You must possess the:
Mind Set,
Training, and Skills
Lawful Authority to Use Deadly Force to Effect Arrest.
Know what you have to do and be committed to do it.
What Rules exist once Deadly Force is authorized?

55. Decisiveness Identify Threat - Be AGGRESSIVE!
Move and continue to Move towards your threat.
If appropriate, engage the threat as you move on it, DIRECTLY or INDIRECTLY.
Watch the straight line direct approach this gives the threat a static target.
Try to use perpendicular movement if possible.
Employ distractions as appropriate to create mental confusion.
Interrupt his OODA Loop

56. O.O.D.A. Loop
Colonel John Richard Boyd was a United States Air Force fighter pilot and Pentagon consultant of the late 20th century, whose theories have been highly influential in the military, sports, business, and litigation.
Colonel Boyd trained his pilots based upon his observations of Human reaction time and as a result his pilots had a 10 to 1 kill ratio over the superior Mig-15’s.
Human reaction time is defined as the time elapsing between the onset of a stimulus and the onset of a response to that stimulus. The O.O.D.A. Loop, which stands for Observe, Orient, Decide and Act, is Boyd’s way of explaining how we go through the process of reacting to stimulus.

57. O.O.D.A. Loop
Stimulus
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act

58. Modified “T” For Multiple Officers.
Douglas G. Pechtel
Company Sergeant Major for B Company, 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Utah Army National Guard, United States Army
Founder and President of Countermeasures Tactical Inc.

59. What other tools do you need?

60. Keep your Cookies Safe!

61. Safety Check All Guns Checked and Clear.
No Ammunition, Knives, Clubs, Grenades, Marmots, or Tapirs in the building
Keep an open mind / Be positive
Tools for your tool box
Not the way just a way
Try it you may like it
Practice makes perfect We’re not perfect

62. Thanks For Your Time The END
Questions or Comments?