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As I settle in, I notice that we are in an ordeal. And I know that your random shooter does not know a lot of the clearing techniques and how to check rooms for victims. They just shoot.
The door I am standing in front of is two inch wood door more than likely because of the small window a metal core door. So depending on what we are dealing with it can take a one or two hits but no more than that.
I decide that if a shooter comes in and just does what shooters do. The single worst place for me to be is directly in front of the door waiting on him. If he/she was to shoot through the door I would want to make sure that I fall down, not forward. If I fell forward it would be away from the door so that idea has to go right out.
Realizing that if a shooter comes in the best place for me to be is to be sitting in front of the door under the handle. So I sit down. I than make the hardest text message I have ever had to type. And I type the words.
Gunman on campus if something happens to me please take care of Calypso and good-bye.
This test message goes to three people my friends Diane, Aleaha and my housemate Phil. My housemate returns a message immediately “What?” I explain the situation and he say he will take care of her. And that is the end of our conversation.
Next is Diane she is all concerned and also letting me know if Phil doesn’t take care of Calyspo she will.
I then cut off communication with all outside sources to deal with this event versus the others.
I then tell the young man that if something happens to me just leave me in front of the door. He looks at me and has a look of what the hell. Informing him that because if I am shot and it kills me I than become a 400 hundred pound door wedge. Inside my head I am thinking “No one dies here today, see mom I have worth”
Read more in this series by Brian Cordoza, here.
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Image by author. Used with permission.