Handling the San Francisco Train Shooting

By now, you’ve probably heard about the murder that took place on a San Francisco commuter train. The gunman didn’t quickly pull out his gun and shoot someone… instead, he pulled out his gun multiple times and even used it to wipe his nose before shooting someone.

However, not a single person on the train noticed him pulling out the gun because everyone was absorbed in their cell phones. As the District Attorney stated, “These people are in very close proximity with him, and nobody sees this… They're just so engrossed, texting and reading and whatnot. They're completely oblivious of their surroundings."

I’m not going to go into a lecture about situational awareness because if you’ve ever trained with me you know how important it is, and you’re aware of the color code. What I do want to share with you today is how you should react if you ever find yourself in a similar situation. In fact, I got the following question (below) from a gentleman named Phil H. that fits perfectly with what I want to share with you.

Phil H. wrote to me regarding the train shooting, “I'm not going to comment on the obvious issue of awareness, but my question is how should a CCW holder react to a situation like that? It was a crowded environment. Making the other passengers aware could spark a panic. Shooting the gunman before he has shot his weapon doesn't seem like a good option. Nor does doing nothing and just being a good witness. But with the crowded environment, taking any action could endanger a lot of lives. So what is the best response to a gun threat in a crowded environment?”

In this specific instance of being on the train, drawing and shooting is definitely not the way to go. It’s too crowded and people are packed into each other like sardines. Also, I wouldn’t just sit there and be a good witness. Obviously, a person can choose to do what they wish, but if the gunman shoots someone and you just stand there and watch… you might be next. If I found myself in that situation I believe the best option is to go hands-on.

The gunman in this case gave a world of opportunity for people to stop him, he was begging for attention and was almost saying “please notice me” when he pulled out the gun multiple times before actually using it. There was plenty of time for a passenger close to him or even several feet away to go hands-on and disarm him.

There are several different techniques for disarming a person with a gun and I know that police academies teach one way, the martial arts teach another, and federal agencies teach another. However, the method I like is what the Secret Service refers to as “Grab, Squeeze, Break, Pull.”

All of the actions in this disarming method happen almost instantaneously but here’s how it breaks down. You grab the gun and squeeze (you are squeezing the person’s hand on the gun, so your hand is on top of theirs wrapped around the gun.) As soon as you grab and squeeze you chop down on their arm to make it bend at the elbow and you pull forward throwing them forward and off balance to the ground where you then remove the gun.

Again, this is just one method of disarming a person with a gun and you should find what works best for you. But in a crowded situation like a train or bus, going hands-on and disarming the threat is often the best solution.

Also, if you ever go hands-on, you don’t have to create a panic or start screaming. In the train situation, as soon as someone saw the gun they could have quickly and silently made their way to the killer and brought him down without anyone getting scared and getting in their way in the panic.

Gun Free Zones and the Law

A few weeks ago, I was doing training in Flagstaff, AZ. While I was there, I needed a new, white dress shirt so I decided to stop by the one and only mall in Flagstaff. As I approached the entrance, I noticed a rather large sign with a gun and an X through it.

In other words, they were letting me know this mall was a gun free zone and they did a good job of it as you couldn’t miss their sign. Now, when a concealed carry permit holder encounters a “gun free zone” we obviously have some choices to make. We can walk back to our car and go someplace else. We can walk back to our car and secure our gun in the vehicle and then go shopping. Or, we can just ignore the sign and go in anyway.

I’m not suggesting that anyone should ignore the sign, but let’s say you walked into the mall and didn’t notice the first sign, but you were already in the mall and noticed a second sign. If for some reason you got caught in a gun free zone carrying concealed what could happen to you?

I know some people let their mind wander and think that SWAT is going to descend on them and take their gun and they’re going to spend a year in jail and never get to carry a gun again.

Well, maybe that’s true in a place like California… but here’s what’s more likely to happen…

I live in the state of Utah. In Utah, a private business’s sign that says it’s a “gun free zone” does not have the force of law. In other words, if I walk into a business and they find out I have a gun they can simply ask me to leave. I can’t get in any legal trouble (unless I refuse to leave when asked to do so.)

However, if while in Utah I enter a private residence or a house of worship that’s a gun free zone, that does have the force of law. So what will happen if I get caught with a gun in church or in a private residence? Well, no SWAT team is going to get you and no year in jail either, but you could get charged with trespassing.

Back to the mall in Flagstaff, Arizona, which is different than a mall in Utah. If I had entered the mall with my gun and somebody had noticed it and reported me, I could have been charged with trespassing. This is because in Arizona, all “gun free zones” signs have the force of law, no matter what kind of place (private business, house of worship, etc.) they are posted in.

As you can see each state is different.

I imagine most states will only charge you with trespassing in the situations when the sign has the force of law but you never know, so make sure and research your own state’s laws. And again, not that I am saying you should ignore the “no gun” signs at a business, but if you accidentally make a mistake and find out you’re in a gun free zone too late, don’t freak out. Just calmly exit the business and if you’re carrying concealed nobody should ever know you have a gun in the first place.

Liberty Gun Safes?

I live in southern Utah and recently found out that Liberty Gun Safes are made in Payson, UT about 2 hours from my house. If you’re not familiar with Liberty Gun Safes they’re makers of the large gun safes that cost a small fortune, and if you’re lucky enough, will house your entire arsenal.

The thing is, whether you’re buying a Liberty, Canon, Browning, or another safe manufacturer, most people don’t know how to shop for the right gun safe. What I mean is, if you’re purchasing a safe at a gun show for $500 that says, “made in China” you might as well not buy a safe at all.

Why?

Because these types of safes can be easily broken into with an axe or sledgehammer. A quality gun safe is going to set you back $2,500 or more and will definitely be made in America. The reason for this is because a quality safe has thick steel (around 3/16 of an inch) and weighs so much that it’s not cost effective to ship it from China.

What’s more, a quality gun safe will have a fire rating of 60 minutes or more. What this means is that for 60 minutes your guns will be protected and won’t begin to warp or go up in flames. It will also come with a special fire seal around the door that expands 5-times it’s size when subjected to heat so that smoke and water won’t enter the safe.

Also, somewhere on the safe you’ll want to see the Underwriters Laboratory RSC sticker. Underwriters Laboratory is the third-party firm that beats the heck out of the safes and subjects them to all types of tests. Their RSC (Residential Security Rating) means the safe will withstand attacks against it with various tools.

Now even though these top-of-the-line safes have all of the bells and whistles…

One thing I wouldn’t get is the fancy electronic keypad lock. Almost all problems that I’ve heard regarding these safes involve problems with the electronic lock. If I were you, I would stick with the old spin dial lock just as long as you remember to spin it off when you’re through using the safe.

The bottom line is, if your gun collection is like mine then it’s worth a good amount of money, which means it makes sense to protect it with the best safes out there. So when the time comes for you to get the 64 gun safe (we can dream can’t we) make sure you know the right questions to ask so you’re not getting a safe that can be easily defeated by criminals or a fire.