YSU residence hall workers get active shooter training

By JOE GORMAN | jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

MacGyver has nothing on Youngstown State University police officer Don Cox. “MacGyver” was a 1980s TV show in which a secret agent solved complex problems by using ordinary objects.

Tuesday, while showing university residence-hall workers how to defend themselves against a gunman inside one of the buildings, Cox showed the students how to lock a door – with a belt.

He also advised them on how to barricade rooms they are in to keep a gunman out. But the most important piece of advice he said he could impart is, if they can, they need to leave the building immediately.

“If he’s [shooter] inside, you get outside,” Cox said.

A mock drill took place afterward. Besides YSU’s, several other police agencies also took part in the training – brought on because of a spate of mass shootings at public places across the country.

YSU Police Chief John Beshara said he recently sent two of his officers, Cox and Terry Rounds, to special training to be certified as ALICE instructors, the system recommended for dealing with mass shootings. It means Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.

Beshara said there have been ALICE training sessions on campus, but Tuesday was the first time it was given to people in the residence halls.

Beshara said he hopes such an event never takes place, but he added it is the job of law enforcement to be ready for anything.

“Only a fool would fail to prepare,” Beshara said.

Cox instructed the about 30 people in attendance on the ALICE system, which since the Newtown, Conn., school shootings in 2012 largely has been adopted by schools and other places where people gather.

He urged those in attendance to alert as many people as possible if there is a shooter, using any means available, include text messaging and social media.

As for the lockdown part, Cox said that is a misnomer because people think it just means locking the doors. But Cox said that doesn’t work or deter someone from getting inside. He said heavy barricades must be made, such as with tables and chairs and dressers and beds.

He also showed the students how then can loop a belt around the arm on a door and hold on to it to keep the door from swinging. He said they must get creative if they are in a situation where a gunman is on the loose.

“You have to think outside the box,” Cox said.

Cox also said those who are on the ground floor or even a second story should consider kicking out a screen or window and leaping out the window, even if they are able to make a barricade.

“If you’re not there, you’re not getting shot,” Cox said. “You have to be flexible in these situations. It’s always dynamic and fluid.”

Information also is key, and Cox said those who get out need to let people know what is going on. He also said they should counter any gunman they run into. They can throw books or furniture at them, or a room full of people can swarm the gunman. He demonstrated by having a student hold a fake gun and having other students grab the gunman’s arms, legs and torso and take him to the ground.

He said statistics show that in 46 percent of mass shootings, the shooter is disabled either by police or by the public.

“You have to commit yourselves,” Cox said. “You have to tell yourself, ‘I am not going to be a victim.’”

He also told them the best thing they can do is evacuate. At YSU, planners are working on various points across campus where people can meet in an emergency, he said. He said heading for your vehicle is a bad idea because so many trying to leave at one time will clog traffic and hold up police. He also said police will lock down the campus anyway until it is safe.