A Kansas security expert says being prepared and paying attention to your surroundings are the best ways to stay safe during an active shooter incident.
Security specialist Richard Lewallen is an anti-terrorism program manager with the Kansas National Guard in the Adjutant General’s Department. He spoke during a Kansas Division of Emergency Management event on social media Monday morning.
Lewallen says if you’re going to a large public gathering, be sure to look for ways to exit and for places to take cover.
"For large venues like this, probably the best thing you can do to prepare for it is making sure, when you walk into a venue like this, that you are looking at where all the prominent exits are," he says.
Lewallen says businesses can prepare for a possible shooting incident by creating a plan and practicing.
"You are kind of doing drills and exercises within that business because a lot of active shooter incidents occur in a lot of small businesses and are linked to disgruntled employees," Lewallen says.
The bottom line, Lewallen says, is to stay vigilant.
"Regardless of security, if somebody has it in their mind that they are going to conduct an attack, they are going to find the means to do it," he says. "It’s our responsibility as American citizens to be mindful of what’s going on around us and pay attention to our surroundings."
Kansas Red Cross officials say they always need blood donors, but they are not specifically collecting blood donations for the Las Vegas mass shooting at this time.
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