(WFXR) — It seems like an active shooter situation can arise in almost any setting these days — even at a weekend party in the rural part of Pittsylvania County. Whether you’re at an indoors gathering or and outdoors event, a Roanoke-based security expert tells WFXR News the very first step in protecting yourself is awareness.
According to the owner of Executive Security Concepts, Chris Ragone, “If I taught one thing, I would tell people to stay aware, in tactical training, in military training, in law enforcement training.”
As soon as you arrive at a public gathering, Ragone advises you to take notice of your surroundings while you’re there, adding that you should always be alert.
“If you’re proactive and you’ve thought about it in the past, you can make better judgments,” explained Ragone, who is also a security and defense trainer. “‘Where is this gunfire coming from? Do I have a way to run? Do I have a pathway to run? Can I get out of here safely?'”
If you notice something that could cause harm, like a fight or a person carrying a gun who shouldn’t be, your next step should be to leave, according to Ragone.
“Trust your instincts,” he said. “If you go somewhere and something just doesn’t feel right, just come back and party another day.”
If you start to hear gunfire, Ragone says in most situations, you need to run or move as quickly as you can in the opposite direction.
If you aren’t sure where gunfire is coming from or don’t feel safe enough to leave, you are encouraged to conceal by hiding where a gunman won’t see you, or better yet, cover by getting behind or under an object that might be able to block a bullet.
“If you can’t find cover, at least find concealment. If you can’t find either, you need to move,” Ragone said.
The security expert says each situation is unique, but the further you can get away from the gunfire, the better.
“Handguns are very inaccurate…outside of 20 to 25 feet, so if you can create distance from that person with a handgun, it’s going to give you a better chance of not getting hit,” said Ragone.
If you carry something for protection — like a firearm, taser, or even something as small as pepper spray — you should have training on how to use it.
This comes as the investigation continues into a shooting at a Pittsylvania County house party — which had more than 100 attendees — along Kerns Church Road that killed one person and injured seven others.
Authorities say they were notified about the incident at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 26, but they they are not sure who started shooting or why.
Meanwhile family friends of the man who died — identified as 21-year-old Jerome White — say they’re pretty surprised, telling WFXR News that White stayed out of trouble pretty well.
“He was a nice guy,” said family friend Charles White. “He was a lovely, quiet guy; always kept to himself. I never had a problem with him. I’ve known him since he was a little baby.”
If you have any information about this deadly weekend shooting, you are asked to call the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office at 434-432-7800.