At 11:20AM of Saturday, April 27, 2019 on the last day of the Jewish holiday of Passover, a shooter entered the Chabad of Poway synagogue is this suburb of San Diego, California. The congregation was just commencing prayer services. Motivated by anti-Semitic hatred, the shooter killed one person, and injured three others, including an eight-year-old girl. My thoughts and prayers go to Lori Kaye, who was murdered, to Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was shot in both hands and lost his index finger, and to Almog Peretz and his niece Noya who were also injured.
In this post I wanted to describe how the survivors responded to the active shooter, and how their response averted a much larger toll. You may want to also refer to this article for a deep discussion on dealing with an active shooter and this article about gun anatomy and takeaways.
The bottom line is that the congregant’s quick and decisive response succeeded in taking the initiative away from the shooter, and allowed the shooter to operate for only a limited time.
The Defender’s Disadvantage
Defending against a surprise attack is very difficult. This is for two reasons:
- The attacker has the initiative. He or she can decide when and how to attack. A smart attacker will pick a time when his target is most vulnerable.
- Action beats reaction, as we show in this video
At times of hypervigilance, a target can detect an attack before it occurs, and to respond more quickly to an attack once it is in progress. However, it is impossible (and undesirable) to maintain the state of hyper vigilance for prolonged periods of time.
Chronicle of Events
Here is how eye witnesses described the unfolding of events at Chabad of Poway. Before we get into the details, it is helpful to familiarize ourselves with the physical layout of the building:
- At the entrance to the building is a small lobby
- A hallways leads from the lobby to the social hall and other offices
- The main sanctuary is situated to the left of the lobby, and is separated from the lobby by a door
The shooter entered the synagogue at approximately 1120AM. At that time, approximately 54 people were in the building, and prayers were in progress in the sanctuary. Entering the building’s lobby, the shooter encountered Lori Kane, and immediately shot her. He then continued shooting down the hallway.
Almog Peretz, who was in the hallway, taking his niece Noya outside to play, were both hit. Almog proceeded to evacuate Noya and another child down the hallway and outside the building.
Upon hearing the shots, Oscar Stewart, a US Army veteran of the Iraq war who was seated at the sanctuary, ran into the lobby. He shouted at the shooter and charged. This caused the shooter to panic, drop his weapon, turn around, and run out of the building. Another congregant, Jonathan Morales, who works as a Border Patrol agent joined Oscar. They chased the shooter out of the building where, upon clearing the area, Jonathan fired his personal sidearm at the shooter’s car. A few minutes later, the shooter called law enforcement, pulled over by the side of the road, and surrendered.
Foiling the Attacker’s Plan
The best way to protect against an attack is to foil it before it starts. Most attacks are not spontaneous. They involve the shooter surveying and planning the attack. It is during those early stages that the attack can be foiled with the least human cost. As an example, the US Secret Service dedicates tremendous efforts in identifying surveillance associated with the early stages of planning an attack. The US Secret Service also uses a variety of human and technological means to survey and spy potential perpetrators.
Seizing the Initialize
Once an attack starts, it is important to seize the initiative away from the attacker. An unimpeded attacker can exact a heavy toll.
This is an area of personal choice, as in an active shooter situation the best course of action for preserving your own life may conflict with the best course of action for saving other lives. If you are far enough for the attacker and are able to escape, should you do that, or should you ambush the shooter and counter-attack? There are no easy answers.
Legally, laypersons have no obligation to risk their own lives in order to save other people’s lives. Of course, this is not true for law enforcement officers, who are trained and paid to protect the public. Also, the stakes are very high when weapons are involved, and especially if you are not armed with a firearm and properly trained in its use. While a counterattack will slow down the attacker, it may not stop the attack. During the Chabad of Poway active shooter event, a brave act by an unarmed congregant saved lives. It could have ended differently, with the brave congregant being killed.
Having prior experience with self-protection and active shooter training will greatly increase your chances of survival. I highly recommend obtaining, and staying current on such training!
What do you think? How would you respond in an active shooter situation? Add your comment below.
Stay safe,
Brian
