Advice offered to protect yourself when attending major events

YOUNGSTOWN — Local law-enforcement officials advised people attending events with large crowds to know where the exits are and prepare to take cover.

Speaking the day after a man in Las Vegas killed at least 59 people and wounded more than 500 others at a country music festival, city Police Chief Robin Lees said being aware of exits is a common-sense measure you can use to protect yourself.

In a situation such as the one in Las Vegas, if shooting breaks out, you need to immediately seek out a place to take cover, Lees said.

What makes Sunday’s shooting stand out from others is the shooter was not in the venue itself. Lees said that complicates things for first responders, especially in a place like Las Vegas, which is vast and well lit even at night, making it hard to distinguish muzzle flashes.

Lees’ officers are trained not to call for a SWAT team response if they respond to an active-shooter situation, but to actively seek out the shooter and engage them, even if it means stepping over causalities to do so.

He said if they do not seek out the shooter, there could be more victims.

Todd Werth, supervisory Senior Resident Agent of Youngstown’s FBI office, said the bureau’s efforts to combat mass shootings rely heavily on sourcing information from the mental health community.

“It’s now about a community response,” Werth said.

There has been active-shooter training conducted at local schools and larger venues ­– including the Covelli Centre – but ideally, Werth said, threats should be identified and mitigated before an event occurs. He likened attending events with large crowds to preparing for adverse weather.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com