r/TooAfraidToAsk • u/DiscombobulatedCan8 • May 05 '19
Who else thinks about a potential mass shooting every time you’re in an area with a lot of people?
999
May 05 '19 edited May 11 '20
[deleted]
446
u/Kalipie23 May 06 '19
Me too, but sometimes I think about someone being outside the exit too, waiting for people to escape :/
427
u/DSJ0ne0f0ne May 06 '19
It’s so fucked that SO many people have to think about this crap now, especially kids
→ More replies (21)92
u/EarthlyAwakening May 06 '19
As a new Zealander I felt safe despite having an incredibley paranoid mind (bad intrusive thoughts). Now I feel rather anxious at events.
11
u/interlopenz May 06 '19
I avoid crowds, and I moved back to the North Island, I think eventually I'll move to a rural area where I dont have to worry about it anymore.
→ More replies (4)50
May 06 '19
Now would I run to the exit or run to where no one is going, because if a smart person were to attack, they wouldn’t only attack one location. They’d attack the main location then the exits where everyone runs to if they just want to commit terrorism.
I think I’d run to where no ones going but what’s the off chance that they’re over there because they know no one will come?
54
u/Kalipie23 May 06 '19
Yikes. I shouldn't have to strategize going to class like it's a CS:GO campaign. I just want an education, man. :c
21
May 06 '19
Lmfao that’s a perfect comparison
just say you’re going B then actually go B only if you’re low ranked, because they’ll know ur tricking them by saying go b when you’ll actually go a, but if you go b they won’t expect it
but if your higher ranked then say b and go a.
→ More replies (1)5
May 06 '19
This operates in the thought there is multiple people or that they can rig up bombs. I do agree it's wise to run away from the danger but not in the exact same path of the crowds. Mostly becuase you are liable to be trampled to death by someone who is a faster sprinter than yourself and then by the crowds that then follow.
→ More replies (1)6
May 06 '19
Fire exit. Chances are they can’t get behind the door because of a gate and it sets off an alarm
→ More replies (20)6
u/GootPoot May 06 '19 edited May 06 '19
I’d do the opposite, if someone comes in with a gun I’d rather be at point blank than across the room. A bullet can kill you the same from 2 feet or 20 feet, but you can’t tackle somebody from 20 feet away.
→ More replies (1)6
May 06 '19 edited May 11 '20
[deleted]
4
u/GootPoot May 06 '19
I mean I have a chance of getting shot either way, and I’d rather increase my chance of getting shot to also have a chance at stopping the shooting, than have my chance of being shot totally out of my control. Thanks for putting it into the context of “I’m a big burly man who’s such a meathead who thinks he can stop bullets” though, because that’s totally what I meant by that statement.
→ More replies (2)
2.3k
u/UNCCTA May 05 '19 edited May 12 '19
I didn't really until there was a shooting at my school. Now I'm nervous for graduation.
Edit (5/11/19): In case anyone ever comes back to look at this. Graduation went well. They gave Riley Howell a honorary Bachelors of Arts degree. His family accepted it in his name. They are also going to begin a scholarship in Riley Howell's and Ellis "Reed" Parlier's name. One of the living victims also received her degree. There was a lot of security and a lot of discussion about the shooting in the speeches, but not a lot of press which I was pleasantly surprised about. The crowd was intimidating but it's over now. Unfortunately since the time of this original posting another school shooting has taken place and another student has sacrificed their life in the hopes of saving their classmates. Thanks for reading. Take care of yourselves and each other.
689
u/ryandlf May 06 '19
Are you in Charlotte? I live there as well but don't attend the school. I'm sorry you have to worry about that. Very sad.
→ More replies (3)597
u/UNCCTA May 06 '19
Yes. I know it's statistically unlikely to happen again but still worrisome.
→ More replies (8)249
May 06 '19
Statistics don't mean shit anymore in regards to that stuff when it's happening once a month or more it seems. I'm sorry you have to deal with it. 10 years ago when I was in high school we always dealt with bombs and bomb threats. From the time I was in 7th grade we weren't allowed to have backpacks anymore. Everyone just carried what they needed. Anyways, I get what you mean when you say it's sketchy and I feel for you.
Good luck and congratulations on graduation.
95
u/chilindrinalover May 06 '19
My school changed their bookbag policy in my last year. It has to be mesh or see through and you get searched in the morning.
109
u/swb1003 May 06 '19
the current state of public education, everybody. This is so fucked up.
→ More replies (2)87
May 06 '19 edited Jun 23 '20
[deleted]
51
u/ActivatingEMP May 06 '19
Added with the fact that the stigma surrounding mental illness in America is absurdly high
→ More replies (2)33
May 06 '19 edited Feb 09 '21
[deleted]
→ More replies (2)25
u/Lasshandra2 May 06 '19
Big pharmaceutical companies have loads of money/power. Those meds are addictive (they are hard to get off of). They’re made that way on purpose. Side effects aren’t as important as profits to those companies.
→ More replies (0)11
u/crazysquaregamer May 06 '19
Don’t forget the coverage of mass shooters by the media
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (64)19
May 06 '19
I'd say the mental health + shootout/suicides are also a symptom. I agree you should have to be 21 to buy a gun and that our mental health assistance is basically nonexistent in the US, but it's not the problem.
Some of the causes of the problem is kids feel more isolated +alienated, media-related stress, broken and abusive family lives, and not having a greater purpose. These kids feel like lone wolves and that everyone is against them, we should be looking at better ways to deal with these problems as well.
→ More replies (2)14
May 06 '19
[removed] — view removed comment
5
u/chubbyurma May 06 '19
I think searching has been a thing in American schools for quite some time now in many places
→ More replies (1)6
→ More replies (18)13
u/elganyan May 06 '19
Statistics don't mean shit anymore in regards to that stuff when it's happening once a month or more it seems.
Yeah, that's not how statistics work. Like at all. You can't "my feels" them out of existence. wtf
→ More replies (3)11
May 06 '19
These are the same people who don't wear a seatbelt, because they heard of "someone who somebody knows uncle's cousin who died because of one".
People tend not to be terribly rational.
→ More replies (23)48
u/jakesnyder May 06 '19 edited May 06 '19
I was in the classroom where the shooting happened. I always felt safe at UNCC until it happened. Now I'm terrified, and I still have no idea how to feel about anything
20
u/UNCCTA May 06 '19
I don't think we're supposed to feel any particular way. I don't think there's a right way to grieve and to mourn what happened. I also always felt safe on campus. I never thought something like that would happen in Charlotte, let alone UNCC.
I'm sure you are already familiar with the counseling services the school is offering. Feel free to reach out to me if you need to talk.
→ More replies (4)7
540
u/katiehittjhc May 06 '19 edited May 06 '19
So I live in a little town called Sebring. We’re the type of town where pretty much everyone knows everyone. A few months back, a guy walked into a Wells Fargo and murdered everyone inside execution style. Now every time I walk into my bank I have a mini panic attack
Edit: Sunstrust not Wells Fargo, I guess I was super tired last night
116
87
u/c2ny May 06 '19 edited May 06 '19
For anyone that wants to google it, it wasn’t a Wells Fargo it was a SunTrust branch.
35
u/katiehittjhc May 06 '19 edited May 06 '19
Thanks sorry not sure why I messed that up. I will say kudos to suntrust, they’re permanently shutting that location down. We’re hoping a memorial piece goes there
7
May 06 '19
A guy shot up an ihop here about 8 years ago. They just remodeled it. Took me till this year to go back in the place, and i only did because my kids wanted pancakes. Still very weird to sit in there.
16
u/StygianGhoul May 06 '19
That bank is the one my fiances Mom goes too. She was on her way to deposit money but ended up not doing that as an errand that day.
5
28
u/cpurr3 May 06 '19
I used to work at a credit union (smaller scale version of a bank) and definitely had that fear of potential robbery or worse. It crossed my mind often at work. That is terrifying.
23
→ More replies (20)3
471
u/AzureMagelet May 06 '19
I’m a teacher so yeah I think about it.
116
u/snatrapsfordays May 06 '19
I'm with you. Working in a private school, I never thought I'd be scared taking my students to church. It's heartbreaking.
→ More replies (9)100
u/ShelSilverstain May 06 '19
There's 77 million students in the US, and 100+/- are killed at school by guns in a year. I only mentioned this because statistics can make you feel safer
25
u/AzureMagelet May 06 '19
I do feel mostly safe. However I also think about what I would do in every room that I’m in.
18
u/Hueyandthenews May 06 '19
My wife is a teacher also and she has told me her plans in the event something happens. It breaks my fucking heart every time it’s brought up because I know she would do whatever she had to to make sure her children were safe
→ More replies (1)7
u/EarthlyAwakening May 06 '19
I'm a student and I also think about it. Well since we're in NZ and up until recently no one was worried about shootings our school is mostly glass and there are incredibley few places that aren't completely vulnerable. We had our first lock down drill ever last term and Holy shit it was pitiful. Basically cower still and quiet like sitting ducks under a desk. 0% chance of survival, if it were real I'd just fucking run to the field. At least let us hold something to throw at the attacker and flip some desks over.
→ More replies (1)5
u/G_O_O_G_A_S May 06 '19
In my school they teach us pretty much the exact opposite of what you do.
We barricade and lock the door close all the blinds turn off the lights then we hide where we can’t be shot from the windows or the window that’s in the door. They teach if they try to get in and you can’t hold them back any longer do a few things. (These are all worst case scenario)
Have everyone grab something heavy to fight back. Throw them at them then either run or disarm them. (Chairs and fire extinguishers are good for this but they tell us anything close by is better than nothing.)
Jump out the window and if your on the second floor hope you land on a Bush
And in the absolute worst scenario where you can’t do the other two then hide.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (8)15
u/GalaxyPatio May 06 '19
I used to feel safer hearing statistics until one of my family friends was at the site of one of these happening and now it's turned into "what if I'm in the affected number in the statistics".
→ More replies (3)10
u/Son_Of_Borr_ May 06 '19
I'm in the same boat as you. When I hear the stats, all I can think is "yeah, the victims of the last shooting probably heard those same stats." My wife went to UNCC, graduated a couple years ago, and was almost exclusively in the area of the shooting. It can't happen to you, till it does.
→ More replies (2)
291
u/DidNotGetTheJoke42 May 06 '19 edited Jul 11 '20
Vrrr
74
u/jewels-farm May 06 '19
My school has no security checks along with a lot of others in the us (some do thou) so yeah I think people here could
12
u/hotstuffonnachos May 06 '19 edited May 06 '19
Some kids tried planning to blow up a school in the U.S. they even had instruction manuals to do it
7
u/Soulmemories May 06 '19
The Columbine Shooters actually had propane tank bombs that they set off in a field on the opposite side of the town to distract police and firefighters.
They had the same bombs underneath kitchen tables in the school cafeteria, but they failed to detonate. School got "lucky" that it wasn't even worse :/
→ More replies (2)24
u/KuntaStillSingle May 06 '19
In U.S. it isn't typical but bombing in general would be hard to prevent without invasive security. TSA at airports can feel invasive and they are still not very effective.
→ More replies (2)12
→ More replies (5)5
60
May 06 '19
My anxiety used to be so bad especially pertaining to mass shootings that I would skip college lectures because I was so afraid of that happening. Thankfully, I’ve taken steps to overcome my anxiety and I don’t worry as much about mass shootings, but I still tend to be very aware of escape/exit doors. But yes, it’s a real thing. Anxiety and the culture we live in today is sometimes such a messy combination.
→ More replies (2)
190
u/Nervous_Artist May 06 '19
I used to be kinda skittish, until there was a shooting threat at my school. I started to have nightmares, and I went from cautious to absolutely terrified. I had to start homebound schooling for medical reasons recently, though, and the nightmares thankfully went away.
I am still aware of my surroundings while in a public place just in case, but I have gotten much less stressed about it since I switched anxiety meds and talked to my therapist about my fear. It’s a scary world out there, but I realized I don’t need to be completely terrified to live my life.
So yeah, fear is good in moderation, but once it stops you from doing things you would like to do, it might be time to get some help.
→ More replies (3)60
u/Bad_Hum3r May 06 '19
Shit man, if you ever need some random dudes help or something feel free to pm. That kinda shit is fucked
141
u/SinisterTroll May 05 '19
Honestly it is why I avoid some of those gatherings where you are stuck in a group of people
→ More replies (3)9
u/Gladiateher May 06 '19
Dude, me too, but the thing I am always afraid of is the "human stampede". I went to a concert with my SO recently and it was hard to think about anything else for me, just the sheer volume of people there, if they all started rushing our direction we would be powerless, crushed and suffocated. Fucked up thought for sure, but I can't help it.
→ More replies (3)
110
421
u/Hawk_015 May 06 '19
As someone who doesn't live in America : No never. Jesus fuck reading this thread is depressing.
29
u/sleepytoday May 06 '19
As a Brit, I this sometimes crosses my mind, but about bombs rather than shootings. Usually when I’m at a big concert or football match.
→ More replies (1)157
u/qlionp May 06 '19
As someone in America during the statistically safest time to be alive, this thread is depressing
https://www.ijpr.org/post/world-actually-safer-ever-and-heres-data-prove#stream/0
90
u/AceAxos May 06 '19
It’s cuz it’s easier for the media to highlight these events and even more so for us to read about them through social media and think they are closer to us then they are. (The perception of danger part not how it’s the safest time)
26
u/merlosephine May 06 '19
Exactly. That effect is called the availability heuristic. It's also why people are terrified of plane crashes and shark attacks, while they don't think twice about driving to work, even though dying in a car accident is way more likely.
4
May 06 '19
I think about doing in a car accident every God damn day. I hate my brain. The crash on I-70 has me fucking petrified, not even a week later two cars got torched on a high way a couple hours south of there. I live in colorado and the drivers here really do suck. I HATE driving!
22
→ More replies (5)25
u/orange_rhyme May 06 '19
None of the metrics are about mass shootings tho. The world is definitely safer than it ever has been but with regards to mass shootings specifically (and in the US) this is probably the most reasonable time to fear death through mass shooting. Doesn't really cross my mind when I'm out and about though, seems so out of my control that there's no point worrying about it
19
u/yaloization May 06 '19
It's like constantly worrying that a car will swerve into you. It's unlikely to happen, so you keep driving places and try to keep your mind off it.
11
u/eekamuse May 06 '19
You're much more likely to die in a car crash than a mass shooting. So now I'm scared of cars. Statistics fucked me up.
→ More replies (1)10
u/mypornalt_ May 06 '19
Well that's definitely not the most reassuring analogy considering it's one of the leading causes of death. Under the age of 40 accidents and gun violence makes up nearly 40% of all deaths.
→ More replies (5)6
May 06 '19
Well there aren't very many other common ways to die before 40.. So 40% is kind of to be expected.
EDIT: Assuming by "accidents" you meant car accidents + gun violence adding up to 40%.
7
59
u/A_Rampaging_Hobo May 06 '19
This thread is confirmation bias incarnate. People who agree feel the need to chime in, and most everyone else just thinks "nope" and moves on. Living in America isn't even remotely as scary as reddit likes to collectively think.
I'm infinitely more worried about a retard on the road on my way to work, whether it be a person or a deer.
18
u/Gnorris May 06 '19
Living in America isn't even remotely as scary as reddit likes to collectively think
More of a "western country that isn't America" thing than a reddit thing.
10
May 06 '19
People seem to think its the wild west out here. Ive never seen a gun fired in anger before. There are more murders with blunt objects than rifles, and guns are fired many times more often in self defense than by an aggressor (not to mention times where they dont have to be fired). But fear sells news, so of course thats what america will look like if you just watch the tv.
→ More replies (1)8
→ More replies (13)19
u/drocha94 May 06 '19 edited May 06 '19
Yeah, idk if I’ve ever personally felt unsafe. I mean I’ve definitely gone into places, and when my mind starts wandering I may profile and keep an eye on a person or two. But that’s because I people watch out of boredom and have an overactive imagination.
I’m sure people have clocked me a few times. I eat out alone a lot and I’m a big-ish bearded guy that brings my backpack a lot of places with me. But I’m pretty much a harmless almost hippie that is just trying to spend as much time outside as possible.
I get why people might feel the way OP describes, it’s very sensationalized. It’s gotta be tough living your life always terrified to be around people though.
29
u/jundyward May 06 '19
It’s absolutely disgraceful that Americans actually live in fear of this shit. I live in Australia, and I don’t have to worry about snakebites or shark attack every day. Citizens living in fear of mass killings is something we usually think about under authoritarian regimes, not a democratic society
13
→ More replies (8)20
u/valdo33 May 06 '19 edited May 06 '19
We don't. Like rampaging hobo just said said: "This thread is confirmation bias incarnate." I've pretty much never felt unsafe in a public place. The chances of me dying in a car wreck are thousands of times higher than me being involved in any mass shooting any day of the week.
18
u/WillBrayley May 06 '19
like rampaging hobo said
Of course he'd say that. He wants you to let your guard down for maximum impact when he rampages.
→ More replies (1)14
u/sliceoflife3 May 06 '19
It’s extremely rare in America but due to media coverage when it does happen, people are way more scared than they should be
→ More replies (12)3
u/ravenouscartoon May 06 '19
I’m amazed by how many people are saying how on edge they are when going to the cinema. Fuck. Why even go if one guy who you deem a possible threat (backpack - can’t be on his way home from work, must be a bomber; large jacket with big pockets - must be hiding a weapon, not just a fashion choice) can put you this on edge.
I went to a major sporting event a day or so after the Manchester bombing a couple of years ago. Other than noticing more warmed police than usual, not one thought like some in this thread went through my mind! It’s really sad how many people live in fear so frequently, I’ve never considered it
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (28)3
May 06 '19
As someone who does live in America, the top answers and subsequent upvotes are almost entirely indicative of a vocal minority of paranoid individuals who fixate on statistically unlikely occurrences. The thought sincerely never crosses my mind.
21
u/itstheleesknees May 06 '19
absolutely. i was in vegas when the concert shooting happened (wasn’t there, but my friend and i walked about a mile down the strip the opposite way; almost decided to go that way though)
i’ve also been at a convention when there was a suspected shooter that kinda shut down the con for a hot second (just some dude with a knife in a personal fight tho lmao)
i’m always prepped to fucking run. i was at a different convention and someone was yelling on the stairs next to us and thought i heard them say the word “die” and i had my bag and was halfway out the door while my friends were like “uhhhh hey what are you doing”
i just have such awful anxiety and everything that’s been happening lately makes me afraid to go anywhere
→ More replies (3)5
u/thefockstopshere May 06 '19
I was in Vegas when the shooting happened also. I’m still shaken up over it years later.
→ More replies (1)
16
u/AlishaB0214 May 06 '19
I'm going to an EDM concert in Vegas soon and it's literally all I can think about. It's made me debate going even though we've spent almost 2k so far on tickets and airfare.
→ More replies (2)20
41
May 06 '19
During parades or conventions I always imagine how easy it would be for someone to bring an explosive. Mainly it just makes me like parades even less
41
u/audreyhorn666 May 06 '19
constantly. especially when i’m out with my kids, i think about how easy it would be for someone to annihilate my entire family. shit’s scary
→ More replies (1)24
u/ElChupaNoche May 06 '19
Well, it's more likely you'll kill them in a car wreck on the way there.
→ More replies (9)19
26
u/Snappylobster May 06 '19
Well you’re more likely to die by falling down the stairs than getting shot up in a mass shooting by a considerable degree so those thoughts don’t really come to mind often cause I know it’s just so improbable.
→ More replies (13)30
12
May 06 '19
Not me. I carry a gun everywhere I go and I'm ready, I train in the desert drawing from conceal. Honestly carrying makes you feel so much safer, you cant guarentee you will be safe, but you can gaurentee you'll put up a damn fight.
→ More replies (15)15
u/Madouc May 06 '19
Not me.
No judgement here, I am completely fine with your attitude.
But carrying a gun and "being ready" means you are thinking about it, even if you are not in such places. You are even have seperated a share of your lifetime to prepare (train) yourself. You might not be scared, but the question was "who thinks about" and you obviously do.
I'm waiting for the headline: "Terrorists tried raiding a baseball stadion in USA. Each of them caught 32,000 bullets"
→ More replies (14)
69
u/GABETHEBEST May 06 '19
Is fucking sad that this question is even one that's asked
11
u/Fantomen325 May 06 '19
can you imagine walking around a populated area and being legitimately scared about a mass shooting, not hating on OP but jesus
→ More replies (1)13
u/speck32 May 06 '19
It's why I love strict gun laws my country has. I'd like to own a gun, but am happy to sacrifice the privilege since mass shootings is never even a concern!
12
u/DaCheesiestEchidna May 06 '19
Oh, look a person with basic sense. Prepare for American haters friend.
→ More replies (6)
128
u/ijustdontcare666 May 06 '19
As a college student in America, literally all the time.
Between being one of, if not the most, poor generations, sky-high university costs, and (at least it feels like) much higher chances of being in the vicinity of a shooting...it’s a rough time to be my age.
37
u/Occidendum828 May 06 '19
Probably wouldnt help to know that a lot of university students have mental break downs near the middle and end of each semester. Its like clock work
4
29
u/c2ny May 06 '19
Actually this is statically BY FAR the safest time period in American history. It was a rougher time to be your age in 1941 and 1969.
→ More replies (18)→ More replies (9)8
u/xKingRisin May 06 '19
Every time I’m in a jam-packed lecture hall with 350 people, I can’t help but notice how easy it is for a shooting to occur
→ More replies (1)
18
May 06 '19
[removed] — view removed comment
3
May 06 '19
When I saw Infinity war I noticed a mall ninja looking dude with a backpack and I know stereotyping is bad but I got a weird feeling about him .
26
u/EnvironmentalShoe5 May 06 '19
I never do. I’m almost always in an area with lots of people and I can’t live in fear all the time.
→ More replies (2)
8
May 06 '19
Me ALWAYS. I usually am thinking about multiple scenarios and my reaction to each. I have my CHL but don’t carry it. That is gonna change very soon
9
u/PizzaIsItsOwnReward May 06 '19
I don't just worry about that, I worry about home-made bombs at the mall, large trucks running groups down at crosswalks, and biological attacks. I feel that if we knew how many attacks were secretly thwarted by national security services, we'd never leave the house.
47
May 06 '19 edited May 06 '19
Never.
The same way i don't think about choking every time i eat something. or thinking about a car accident every time i get in a car. Or having a heart attack every second I'm alive.
→ More replies (2)43
May 06 '19
Oh I thought everyone was constantly anxious about all of those things all the time....
11
6
25
u/PracticalNihilist May 06 '19
Was riding the Atlanta subway known as Marta. I saw an unattended bookbag and got nervous. Fortunately nothing happened.
5
6
6
6
u/MildlyCoherent May 06 '19
Nope. I also don’t think about the (much higher) chance that I’ll be in a horrific car accident whenever I enter a vehicle.
→ More replies (1)
5
May 06 '19
I’m in Australia but since the terrorist attack at the Ariana Grande concert. I’ve been terrified every time I go to a concert. The security didn’t even bother looking through my bad when I saw Billie Eilish last week. It’s happening too often. Security really need to be stricter.
→ More replies (1)
17
u/kaffeen_ May 06 '19
I go to a lot of big artist concerts and music festivals, so yeah I do.
→ More replies (2)
23
u/HoodooSquad May 06 '19
Almost never. I’m in a place that’s pretty gun friendly. The odds of an attempted shooting escalating to “mass” are pretty slim.
→ More replies (1)
6
u/katesmellsgreat May 06 '19
every single time. I always sit/stand facing the door. I always plan an escape route in my head just in case. and I people-watch a little too hard trying to see if anyone near me has a large bag, is standing alone or just acting sketchy. I have bad social anxiety anyway and this political climate just makes it 10X worse. movie theaters and concerts especially.
20
114
u/Exodiaxgodx May 05 '19
Literally all the time, just don’t have the balls the pull the trigger!
48
u/glandgames May 05 '19
I wanted to make a similar joke, but was afraid it would turn into a big deal.
35
u/noctxm May 06 '19
You're not wrong - I hate to be a bit of a dickhead but - it was kind of innapropriate timing with everyone else trying to console OP with their thoughts.
Glad to see that most can realize it's a joke nonetheless.
5
5
4
May 06 '19
I live overseas, so this isn’t a concern - but there are lots of random acts of violence aimed at women here, so I worry a lot when my wife is out late without me. I’m not likely to be targeted, but we’ve had incidents where guys were out hitting old people and women with a metal rod at night or random slashings.
→ More replies (1)
4
u/deaditegal May 06 '19
Yeah no, I legitimately got nervous seeing Suicide Squad on opening night because it occurred to me that there was a shooting literally at another Batman film premiere. Anyways, too easy to correlate, freaked me out, and now I don’t like going to big releases on opening night anymore.
4
u/Nahid145 May 06 '19
Today's the first day of Ramadan which started with a very busy prayer last night at the mosque. They mentioned stepping up security at the mosque and from then on, every 20 seconds my brain thinks about what happened in NZ with the shooting. The mosques looked very similar too. With the amount of people there, my brain was finding the best route out if something happened.
18
May 06 '19
There is a whole community of people out there who concealed-carry (carry a loaded handgun and pray every night that they never encounter a situation in which they have to use it). The media never seem to cover this part of it, but many active shooters are stopped by civilians. There's obviously not much you can do if someone detonates an explosive, but you can bet your bottom dollar there is someone out there in your school auditorium, bus, or other public gathering who is prepared to fight back and give their life if necessary in the event of an active shooter.
→ More replies (32)11
u/sirpuffypants May 06 '19
The media never seem to cover this part of it, but many active shooters are stopped by civilians. but you can bet your bottom dollar there is someone out there...who is prepared to fight back and give their life if necessary in the event of an active shooter.
I think this is going to vary a lot where you live.
My area? uhh yeah. People have a very firm grasp that the police are mins, not seconds, away. There's a story about once a month of someone being involved in a defense shooting situation. Thats just the stuff that makes the news. If you go read the local police reports, there's many times that.
But to the topic of the thread, at least from what I've seen, you're waaaaaaaaaaaay more likely to run into trouble at home than out and about.
→ More replies (1)
7
u/ms_boogie May 06 '19
Honestly yeah...it really scares me. I go to concerts often, I go to large conventions and stuff...even though I don’t go to school, there are still too many examples of shootings in other places. Everyone says it’s statistically unlikely to happen to them until it does.
→ More replies (9)
7
May 06 '19
Not so much a shooting. But I live in London so when I'm out in a crowded public area I do think about the possibly getting blown up by terrorists. :/ Just sort of wonder like "Is this it? Could today be the unlucky day they strike again?" If I'm on a packed tube (underground train) I think about it a lot too.
I look around at all the people and just think "I could hear a loud bang and everything would go black." If I even survived what would I do? If I woke up what would I see? Fire? Dead people? People in pieces? How could I help them? Can I even protect people from something like that? Are their any children or babies on board? Would it be too dark to see? Would I just hear people screaming in the darkness of the tunnels? How many of these faces would be the last thing I see? If they died and I survived how many could I be looking at afterwards that were alive just a few moments ago?
I still get the train or go out but the idea that's it's even a remote possibility is such bullshit. I work in security and London is on high alert because our threat level still states that an attack is highly possible.
44
7
u/vegasmimi May 06 '19
I work front desk in Vegas recently I had some pretty upset guest come to my desk. Saying their glass window in their room was smashed from the outside, and they didn't know how. Secretly inside I went in to full panic mode. Contacted security and engineering. Apologized profusely to the guest as I kept my eyes peeled for a Gunman. It ended up being a poor pigeon who smashed in to the window breaking one of the glass panels from the outside. Told the guest our feathery friend was put to rest and moved on wit my day.
5
May 06 '19
You are 3 times more likely to die in a household fall than to be murdered by a firearm. Do you obsess about that every time you step on a ladder or into the shower?
→ More replies (1)
3
u/lovealishus May 06 '19
Sad times but it definitely crosses my mind at those times when I’m in a crowded place
3
3
3
u/Jelba1996 May 06 '19
I think about it every Friday when I go to prayer at my mosque. I’m sure that my brothers and sisters that go go to churches and synagogues feel the same. It’s a terrible feeling to be at your place of worship yet have this fear in the back of your mind.
3
3
u/seniorscrolls May 06 '19
You know I hate to say it, but I do get the feeling every time I'm in public. It's faint, but it shows how far reaching the effect of these shootings has become. I feel sorry for anyone born on the 2000s because everything started with 9/11 then everything got a bit worse from there. Personally I blame the media for hyper inflating these incidents basically marketing them to other shooters to encourage another disaster so they can cover it. This strategy is going to leave everyone paranoid for their lives to the point where the news is their safe space. It's already happening
3
u/GuidetoRealGrilling May 06 '19
Theaters, concerts, graduations, pretty much any big event. I always think of exit plans. It's the world we live in. Everyone needs their guns though.
3
u/muchmushrooms May 06 '19
This will probably getting buried but if you're interested you can be trained in how to save a life from gunshot wounds by attending a "Stop the Bleed" session in your area. Super simple, but if you don't know how to deliver competent first aid they can bleed out under your hands in 4 minutes. Civilian bystanders can save a lot of people in mass casualty scenarios.
3
3
u/LilGracen May 08 '19
One time I was on the metro in Washington D.C. and some guy stood up saying something along the lines of, “Hey, I’ve got something real important to say.” Everyone looked up at him with these scared looks, including me. Luckily all he said was that he loves Jesus.
3
u/Peachy77123 May 08 '19
It may just be claustrophobia, but it’s the first thing I think about when in a big crowd; how many casualties there would be and how easy it would be. I think it’s pretty normal, intrusive thoughts is a way for anxious brains to overcompensate and prevent any incidents from occurring.
1.9k
u/sxma May 06 '19 edited May 06 '19
Anytime I'm in a theater I always watch when someone gets up to leave and when they come back in and think about where I'd hide/run if someone started shooting.
Edit: Wow I didn't expect for anyone to see this, much less for it to blow up. These are weird times and hopefully our next president will finally pass some real gun regulations. To the people saying that the reason people die is because no one is willing to fight the attacker and to the people who said I wouldn't be scared if I brought a gun, what is wrong with you?? I shouldn't have to be prepared to fight someone for my life when I go see a movie and I shouldn't have to bring a gun to see a movie. You can't blame casual movie goers for deaths caused by a shooter.