Marc McYoung: "What Do I Do When Someone IS Shooting At Me?"

Bayou Renaissance Man (Peter Grant) recently linked to a great article by Marc McYoung at No Nonsense Self Defense entitled "What Do I Do When Someone IS Shooting At Me?" He begins:

    The most accurate answer to the question of 'What do I do ...?' is "It depends" 

    By that I mean it depends on where you are, who you are, who is doing the shooting, why the shooting is happening, who's with you, what options you've chosen and most of all your mindset. 

McYoung points out that " just because someone is waving a gun, that isn't the same as them shooting. And– in a bit you'll see why this is important– just because you're in an area where someone is shooting doesn't necessarily mean they're shooting at you specifically." He explains:

    The importance of [whether someone is trying to kill you or someone else] is simple: People who are trying to kill someone else don't really care about you unless you get in their way. Someone who is trying to kill you specifically will be more dedicated to that task than someone intent on killing someone else or anybody in the area. This strongly effects what your options are.

    That is why you must look at what happens before it becomes physical -- even with weapons. Because what is going on before the weapon is drawn and what occurs while the weapon is displayed is critical for assessing what is the best course of action for you.

    A threat display or the different kinds of violence are NOT someone trying to kill you! Can they escalate into physical violence? Yes. Can it go from a simple assault to an aggravated assault? Absolutely. Can they result in death? Yes (Especially if you try to counter a weapon-based threat display with one of your own). Can you catch a bullet meant for someone else? Oh hell, yes.

    However most violence is NOT about killing. It is about achieving a goal. And this includes someone displaying or brandishing of a weapon. The 'reason' to brandish is so that person doesn't have to use it.  Although 'brandishing' is illegal in most states, the intent is usually to show how serious someone is about their demands.  If the goal is to kill, he (or she) will just pull it and start putting lead in the air.

    I often say that 'I am negotiating until I pull the trigger.' The importance of this concept cannot be stressed enough. VERY SELDOM does someone 'just pull a gun and shoot.' Communication is the norm. While it is possible that the shooter is working his way up to shooting by talking, it is far more common that he is communicating so he doesn't 'have' to shoot. But, people caught up in their emotions about being in conflict don't look at it this way. In fact, because their monkey brains are driving the bus, they overlook the fact that MOST violence comes with instructions on how to AVOID it!

    Read that last sentence again, it's important.

• If the guy is waving a gun at you telling you leave or shut up ... TAKE HIS ADVICE!!!!
• If he's got a gun in your face saying give him your wallet ... DO SO!
• If he's screaming at someone else, leave the area before he changes his mind and starts shooting.
• Do NOT stay in area to see what happens! Filming with your phone doesn't make you bulletproof.

While this may sound obvious, the problem is that in conflict, when people are functioning in their Monkey they are NOT making rational decisions given the danger. 

 It is a lengthy and detailed article and there is much more there, including a lot of advice on what to do if the bullets start to fly your way, so be sure to read the whole thing.