Statistically the chance of someone being in an active-shooter event are small. Equally small is the chance of a being in a commercial plane crash, yet flight attendants still brief passengers on safety procedures before a flight to instill a survival mindset.

Arizona State University Police Chief Michael Thompson made that analogy after the unveiling of a student-produced active shooter video to university stakeholders Nov. 7 at the Tempe campus Memorial Union. Students Jacob Kaufman and June Hucko of ASU Student Creative Services review a shot during the filming of the active-shooter preparedness video as crew members, ASU Police Officer Becky Garcia and Rick Bauer of the ASU Environmental Health and Safety Office look on. Kaufman served as the video director and Hucko as director of photography. Garcia starred in the film, and Bauer was the project manager and executive director. Photo courtesy of ASU SCS Download Full Image

“They don’t anticipate the plane crashing, I hope, but they practice it and they talk about it because there is a chance,” Thompson said. “The same thing here, we just want to make sure that people are aware of their surroundings and what is going on.”

The new video emphasizes the “run, hide, fight” concept, but it also indirectly helps instill a higher sense of awareness to avert a crisis. Someone behaving in a peculiar way, such as walking around in the middle of summer wearing a trench coat, could be a sign, Thompson said. Past mass shootings in the U.S. were often preceded by warning signs noticed by people who came in contact with the shooter. 

“It is really important that if you know of something that might be percolating, say something,” Thompson said. “People don’t just snap; there is a buildup."

It is a grim subject and not an easy one to talk about, but active shootings have become a part of daily life, said Becky Garcia, ASU Police crime prevention officer. As shooting incidents become more prevalent, preparedness is key.

“That’s the message in this video,” Garcia said. “The messaging is not to scare people but to share the options, so that way we can all have the mindset and know the options, and have that survival mindset no matter where we are.” 

The video is brief and people may walk away with more questions than answers after watching it, Garcia said. That is why it is important for the ASU community to also sign up for the in-person, interactive classes offered on campus.

“It takes about an hour,” Garcia said. “We have the opportunity at that point to answer from the law enforcement perspective any questions that might arise.”