DALLAS — Following this weekend's two mass shootings — one at an El Paso Walmart Saturday and another at a Dayton, Ohio bar early Sunday morning — one Dallas police officer shared advice on Twitter about how to survive a shooting.
Major Max Geron, who helps oversee the department's criminal investigations bureau, responded to former WFAA anchor Gloria Campos on Twitter when she asked how people with concealed handgun licenses should conduct themselves in a shooting situation.
Geron's instructions apply to more than just CHL carriers, though. Here's what he said:
- Prepare. Have a plan and a strategy for what you will do if you get separated.
- Try the best you can to escape. Remember the three steps: Run, Fight and Hide. Geron said there's a reason "run" comes first in that sentence.
- Know how to hide correctly. "Concealment obscures view, cover stops bullets. If you can find both, get there," Geron tweeted.
- If you have to fight, make sure you know what you're doing. "As a CHL holder you may have an idea of whether or not you can take the life of another. You’ll know the answer if you find yourself in that situation. I hope you never do. Practice and be prepared," Geron tweeted.
- Learn first aid and learn how to stop bleeding. Keep a tourniquet as a part of your first aid kit and know how to use it.
Read more in Geron's Twitter thread below, or at this link.
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Geron also had a few pieces of advice for how to contribute as our communities deal with these mass shootings.
First, Geron says, get involved and contribute to making a positive change in the status of gun violence in the U.S.
Second, don't live in fear. "We're Americans and celebrate our free society," he tweeted. But you should have a strategy and plan for emergencies.
Third, give blood regularly.
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- These are the 9 victims of the Dayton shooting
- Here are the victims of the El Paso Walmart shooting