Brutality With Precision: Dealing With Active Shooters In Places Most Vulnerable
Mastering Vigilance and Violence with Precision in a Crisis... Without Getting Shot by The Good Guys.
The Modern Threat Landscape
The illusion of safety in sacred spaces has been shattered. From June to September 2025, four violent attacks on U.S. churches killed eight people and injured over 30, proving that trained, armed security is no longer optional—not just for churches, but for schools, malls, and community gatherings. Everyday defenders, prepared to act decisively, are now vital to safeguarding lives in a world where violence can erupt without warning.
CrossPointe Community Church, Wayne, MI (June 22, 2025): A gunman attacked Vacation Bible School, injuring several. A church security team stopped the threat, averting a larger tragedy.
Richmond Road Baptist Church, Lexington, KY (July 13, 2025): A shooter killed two and wounded two during a service. Lexington police neutralized the attacker in a shootout.
Annunciation Catholic Church/School, Minneapolis, MN (August 27, 2025): A gunman fired on a back-to-school Mass, killing two children and injuring 21. The attacker took his own life before police could intervene.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Grand Blanc Township, MI (September 28, 2025): A gunman rammed a vehicle into the building, set it on fire, and opened fire, killing four and injuring eight. Law enforcement stopped the attack within minutes. This is still fresh, and the information is sketchy.
A Historical Pattern of Vulnerability
Churches have never been true sanctuaries against those driven by malice, immorality, or madness—history proves they’re often targets. From recent atrocities to centuries-old massacres, these events show that active, vigilant defense is essential to protect the vulnerable.
Komanda, Congo (July 11, 2024): Islamic State-backed rebels killed 38 worshippers in a Catholic church vigil. The attack slaughtered men, women, and children (PBS NewsHour, 2024).
Shan State, Myanmar (March 14, 2023): Myanmar military forces attacked a Buddhist monastery, killing 22 monks and civilians. The brutal assault targeted a religious sanctuary during civil unrest (CNN, 2023).
Dagestan, Russia (June 23, 2024): Coordinated attacks by gunmen on churches, a synagogue, and police posts killed 20, including a priest. The attackers, linked to Islamic extremism, were neutralized by Russian forces (Wikipedia, 2024).
The Duty to Protect
Whether part of a security team or not, your duty to protect yourself and loved ones follows you everywhere—not just to churches or schools, but to grocery stores, theaters, or any public space. Capable individuals must be prepared to defend themselves actively and, when armed, respond with a peaceful warrior mindset—a balance of calm vigilance and decisive action. An actively aware individual or team, trained to detect cues early and act swiftly on clear triggers, can prevent escalation and save lives, embodying preparedness wherever threats may arise.
Armed Response Considerations
There is nothing more dangerous than responding to an active threat incident without being armed. But a close second would be responding while armed—especially as you approach the situation or while awaiting the arrival of police.
Today, over half of U.S. states allow constitutional carry, and many more allow concealed carry of handguns in businesses open to the public. This means the chances of an armed citizen responding to an event are steadily increasing. I can tell you firsthand that police training has not caught up with this reality. Rarely do officers receive any training on dealing with legally armed citizens during ongoing threats. There is a high probability that if you do things wrong, you will be shot by the police—especially if you’re seen with a gun in your hand. There have been multiple instances of this occurring. For this reason, we prioritize the risk of misidentification during armed responses.
Here is one of those tragic incidents, the Arvada Shooting:
Article:
Brave Defender Takes Out Active Shooter and is Killed By Police
Video:
Obviously, having a firearm—and the capability to use it effectively—seriously increases your chance of survival when confronting an active killer. It also gives you several options in your response, which you must weigh based on your situation, capabilities, and perceived duty to protect others. Additionally, there are several primary considerations for engaging a threat in complex environments that involve victims and bystanders. We’ll take a short look at each of these factors in the following chapter. I will have more detailed and updated training courses (my company currently offers multiple active threat courses) that will precisely cover armed active threat response in the near future.
Drive, Signs, Stimulus
So, you’re minding your own business and carrying concealed when suddenly you hear gunfire. If your first instinct is to pull your gun out for all to see and approach the danger because you think you’re a superhero immune to friendly fire and misidentification, you may be sorely mistaken. Armed response must be nuanced and thoughtful whenever possible. But just like an unarmed response, it also demands the ability to act immediately and aggressively with overwhelming force, the butality with precision I talked about in my last article here: The Whale is Through The Net. This creates some serious dilemmas.
You should get familiar with three terms: Drive, Signs, and Stimulus.
Drive designates the route you intend to take—whether it’s toward an exit, to locate a loved one, away from the threat, or, if you have the capability and mindset, toward the danger. It gives you a clear movement path for observation and clearing.
Signs indicate evidence that an active threat has been or is in the area. These may include shell casings, blood, victims, and general disorder. The deeper you go into an area showing these signs, the higher the probability that you’ll encounter the threat.
Stimulus is any real-time indicator of the threat—gunfire, the sounds of the attacker, or eyewitness direction to the shooter’s location. This matters because the visible presentation of your weapon can lead directly to misidentification.
Positions
Your general response should begin with gripping your weapon as best you can while keeping it concealed under your outer garment. I call this the grip-ready position. It’s not ideal for instant engagement, but with a rapid draw, you can hit a target at moderate range quickly. It strikes a balance between readiness, concealment, and keeping one hand free for maneuvering.
When you expect to meet police and want to avoid misidentification, adjust your profile to demonstrate you are unarmed—hands up, open, and empty, with your firearm completely concealed.
At the other extreme is the low-ready position or similar overt position with your handgun displayed. This should only be used when you imminently expect to encounter the threat due to nearby stimulus. Even then, I suggest a clearing technique where you lead with your eyes while keeping the gun out of sight. This split-second delay improves your odds of not getting shot by responding officers or panicked citizens.
Once the threat is neutralized, or if you’re concerned about misidentification, adopt what I call the gun-down, hands-up position—holding the firearm close to your body with your support hand raised and palm visible in the universal “I’m not a threat” gesture.
If the situation demands that you keep your gun out while police may be arriving, do your best to keep it hidden. For example, hold it below eye level behind furniture, or stay inside a room rather than in a hallway. Use your support hand to signal non-aggression. There are no hard-and-fast rules here, just trade-offs between readiness to fight and risk of being misidentified.
Position Summary:
Hands-Free – Gun completely concealed, hands up, open, and empty.
Grip-Ready – Grip on gun in the holster, concealed. Option to pre-stage your draw by holding the cover garment.
Gun Down, Hand Up – Gun close to your body, support hand raised and open.
Ready Position – Gun overtly presented and ready to engage; lead with eyes when possible.
Grip Ready (Semi-Concealed) and Gun Down, Hand Up.
Avoiding Misidentification
Whether you’re a concealed carrier, plainclothes officer, or off-duty cop, three principles apply to nearly any situation where you have a weapon and respond:
No one knows you’re the good guy.
Not every person with a gun is a threat.
At a certain point, the police may be more dangerous to you than any criminal.
Arriving officers or panicked civilians may have no clue you’re a lawfully armed citizen. A gun in your hand may trigger fear or even gunfire. Misinformation spreads quickly during chaos, and 911 callers often give conflicting or incorrect details.
Whenever possible, reduce your signature and use nonverbal cues to show you’re not a threat. Speak clearly—identify yourself as a good guy. Ask bystanders if they’re OK, delegate tasks like calling 911, and explain what’s happening.
Choose someone calm to meet arriving officers and explain that a legally armed citizen is nearby. Don’t assume they’ll recognize you as a helper.
Also, remember that other well-meaning armed citizens or off-duty officers may be responding. You can’t shoot someone just because they’re armed. You still need a legal and moral justification—a threat with ability, opportunity, and intent. Watch for criminal cues using the ABCDs of threat awareness.
If you get a chance to call 911, describe yourself and state that you’re a legally armed defender. It may buy you seconds of hesitation from the police. I just had to do this when reporting a domestic assault in progress near my work. I was off-duty and wanted dispatch to be clear about who I was and how I looked. When police arrive, do exactly what they say—slowly and without resistance. Stay calm, simplify the situation, and only speak clearly when appropriate. Many officers aren’t well-trained for these encounters. Some are.
Final Thoughts
A well-trained, composed everyday defender can save lives in an active threat, embodying the peaceful warrior mindset of vigilance and decisive action. Reckless or untrained responses risk chaos. Critics may call armed citizens a liability, but no unarmed victim wishes they were defenseless. Carrying legally demands responsibility:
Train for high-level marksmanship.
Practice decision-making under stress.
Engage in force-on-force and real-world scenario training.
You don’t need to live like a soldier, but you must be capable when it counts. Your actions, guided by awareness and precision, could mean the difference between life and death for you and those around you.
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I’m including some heavy sauce with this one. Below, you will find a link to material I normally reserve for my higher-level Instructor Training Courses on Close Quarter Contacts and Active Threat Response. Below is an 11-page .pdf for Individual Weapons Flow. The addition of the contact position years ago has been a game-changing development in how to address identified threats when determining the final level of force required to control them. Here is what you will learn:
Demonstrate the five rules of firearms safety as they relate to weapons flow in a realistic environment.
Demonstrate the fighting position (“combat crouch”) and explain its behavioral and tactical application pros and cons.
Define and explain the purpose and pros and cons of each weapon readiness position.
Demonstrate each of the positions and flow to and from each position to threat engagement.