Q&A for How to Avoid Being Shot

You can, as long as you don't endanger your own life in the process (unless you are willing to risk your life for your friend).

First, being afraid of any injury (including being shot) is inborn and normal. Obviously, though, you should avoid situations where you are likely to be shot. If you are afraid of being shot in situations where that's unlikely (e.g. at work or shopping), then your fear is irrational. In that case, a licensed counselor who specializes in the treatment of phobias may be able to help you.

First of all, don't fight a shooter if you can avoid it. If you find yourself in a situation where you have to fight a shooter there are a couple of things you can do. If you have a gun, find some cover to hide behind while you prepare to return fire. The priority is not to defeat the shooter, but to stay alive. If you don't have a gun, try to get as close to the person with the gun as possible, with your hands in the air. Then quickly grab the arm that is holding the gun at the wrist, after which you can aim it away from you. Then you can hit the person, do a martial arts technique, etc. Remember, always avoid a shooter.

Technically yes, but it's very very unlikely. Only attempt a dodge as a last resort.

You should only attack a shooter as a last resort. Ideally, you should hide or escape if possible.

If you can, try to catch the attacker by surprise from behind. Grab their weapon and throw it away from them if possible to disarm them. You could also try tackling them.

If you remain standing still, then assuming you're the target, you will almost certainly be shot unless you hit the ground or hide behind something.

Try to duck for cover initially within the vehicle and call for help. If possible, drive away and get to a safe location.

If you're already outside, run to safety, either to a neighbor's house or a well-lit, populated area. If you're worried about being seen, and you think they might have guns, run in a zigzag formation. If you have a phone, call 911 while you're running.

Hit the ground and play dead. You don't have any other real choices in this situation.

Stay calm, put your hands over your head, and kneel on the ground. The police will not taser you.

No. If you have been trained in the use of firearms and have taken classes, gotten certification, been issued permits etc., then you know when and where you should carry a firearm. Thus, you need lots of training and lots of range practice, as well as proper certification before you carry a gun. If everybody carried a gun because they were nervous, but they weren't trained - then so many life threatening situations would occur.

Like any tool in modern society, we as a collective have decided that the manufacture, sale, and possession of such tools is more important to the preservation of liberty than your fear of being shot. I am afraid of being in a car wreck, yet I still commute to work everyday.

You should get out of that environment as soon as possible.

Getting tasered will hurt you, yes.

Try to hit the ground or get behind something fast. Remember, a drive-by is someone driving past, so it only lasts a few seconds. It’s not likely that they will have time to aim properly or shoot in a precise location, such as behind a large lamppost. Getting down can get you out of the line of fire, as a shooter will be looking outwards not down. If you are with friends, scatter.

If the situation is safe enough, then you can tend to your friend's wound. However, if the shooter is too close, it would be in your best interest to run or hide.

Anytime you're threatened, get to safety and contact the police immediately. The police will do their job regardless of bias or personal opinion and arrest the person making the threat.

No. They will just shoot the dog. A big dog is an easy target. The harsh reality is this is actually a good idea for another reason: escaping. Slick your dog on a gunman to give yourself time to get away.

For safety purposes, assume any armed gunman is prepared to shoot at any time.

It is virtually impossible to dodge a bullet; a bullet goes 1,700 miles a hour, much faster than the fastest human. Therefore it's not about how fast you're going, it's about how many obstacles you can get between you and the shooter to make yourself more difficult to hit.

No, you should never try to run away from police even if you believe you’ve done nothing wrong, as running might cause you to get shot. If you are mistaken for a crime, politely tell the officer that you are innocent and explain what happened. Make no sudden moves and keep your hands where they can be seen.

If they are a good shooter, there is almost no way to dodge a bullet. However, the average shooter cannot hit a target from at least 60 meters away, so try and put distance between you and them.

Try to find cover and hide. As a last resort, use your own blood to fake death.