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Police share tips on surviving a mass shooting

Being mentally prepared not to freeze in the midst of an active shooter situation and to recapture the element of surprise from the shooter are among the key factors to surviving, Wheeling police officers told area business representatives Wednesday during an event hosted by the Wheeling/Prospect Heights Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The seminar had been planned long before the weekend's attack on an Orlando nightclub left 49 dead, but the number of registered attendees jumped from 45 to 75 after the shooting. Some of those who signed up in the past few days came from well outside the village, said chamber President Matt Eggemeyer.

The Orlando nightclub attack was very much on the minds of all present as Wheeling Sgt. James Elwart and Sgt. Christopher Higham shared their expertise with an audience composed primarily of business owners and managers.

Nearly half of all active shooter situations occur at businesses, the police officers noted.

"Statistics are not in our favor here," Elwart said. "We need to be prepared for this."

"Prepared," as far as the officers are concerned, doesn't mean all civilians arming themselves. Instead, they say, the key is being mentally prepared and constantly aware of one's surroundings.

That includes assessing unusual behavior in others, remaining aware of exit routes wherever one may be, and having the resourcefulness to turn nearby objects into useful tools or weapons in an emergency.

Though no one should have to think of mass shootings as normal, people can train themselves to respond properly just as they do to fire alarms and tornado warnings, the officers said. Even airplane passengers are adept at quickly responding to the slightest sign of trouble aboard.

"We have to change our mindsets," Elwart said. "We did it with terrorism, and this is a form of terrorism."

Wheeling resident Carey Brown, who operates a driving service for seniors, said he's assisted as a role player in Wheeling police training exercises for active shooters. He attended Wednesday's seminar to improve his own preparedness.

"It's basically just get out as safe as you can and knowing how to do it," Brown said. "I wouldn't feel comfortable fighting them. That's just not me. But you might have to do it."

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