When Facing an Active Shooter, Get Those Targets Moving

At GovSec West, speaker Shawn Slezak discussed the importance of the ALICE program and how correct training can keep students and faculty safe when an active shooter is on campus.

As part of GovSec West’s Campus Security and Life Safety lineup, Moving Beyond Lockdown: An Overview of the ALICE Response Program to Active Shooter Event was presented by Shawn Slezak, a national trainer to public and private organizations across the nation.

During his speech, Slezak spoke about the difference in a police officer’s training and that of an active shooter. Simply put, law enforcement officers have tactical training, and active shooters do not. Statistics show that only 18-22 percent of all shots fired by officers are fatal, while 80 percent of shots fired by an active shooter end up claiming a life. How is that possible?

According to Slezak, cops have several things to consider before firing their weapon. They think about repercussions, worrying that an innocent bystander will somehow walk into the shot before the bullet makes it to their intended target, and hoping that whatever the outcome of firing their weapon that they will be able to deal with it. In other words, cops are distracted.

Shawn Slezak discusses ALICE.

Active shooters do not have distractions, and Slezak mentioned that the shooters only have one thing on their mind: to kill. In most cases, campuses lock down their facilities. And during that lockdown, students are told to hide under desks or tables. If the shooter enters a room during this time, the targets are stagnant and the shooter doesn’t even have to take aim in order to fatally shoot someone.

This is where Slezak shows his irritation with the lockdown system. “Why are students told to stay in one place and wait for the shooter to show up?” he asked. “It doesn’t make sense, especially when there are young children on campus. An active shooter hasn’t been trained on shooting a moving object, so get those targets moving.”

According to research during Slezak’s presentation, the majority of students and faculty that didn’t wait for law enforcement to show up survived an active shooting because they took immediate action.

Here is a breakdown of the ALICE program:

ALERT: use plain and specific language when making a 911 call or alerting authorities about an active shooter on campus.

LOCKDOWN: barricade and prepare to evacuate, but do not waste time waiting for law enforcement to arrive.

INFORM: communicate the shooter’s whereabouts to help either officers pinpoint the location or to help students safely escape the facility.

COUNTER: this is a last resort, make noise and throw objects to distract the shooter in order to help others escape.

EVACUATE: break windows from the top corner, move to the rally point as quickly as possible and follow law enforcement commands.

A final point Slezak made was that a violent act can also make the difference between survival and death. Don’t be afraid to act out against the shooter; take a stand and fight for your life and the lives of others. In several past active shooter events, such as Sandy Hook, it took just one person to make a stand that saved several precious lives.

About the Author

Lindsay Page is the editor for Campus Security & Life Safety magazine, and the senior editor for Security Today.

Featured

  • Security Today Announces The Govies Government Security Award Winners for 2025

    Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 winners in The Govies Government Security Awards. The awards honor outstanding government security products in a variety of categories. Read Now

  • Survey: 60 Percent of Organizations Using AI in IT Infrastructure

    Netwrix, a cybersecurity provider focused on data and identity threats, today announced the release of its annual global 2025 Cybersecurity Trends Report based on a global survey of 2,150 IT and security professionals from 121 countries. It reveals that 60% of organizations are already using artificial intelligence (AI) in their IT infrastructure and 30% are considering implementing AI. Read Now

  • New Research Reveals Global Video Surveillance Industry Perspectives on AI

    Axis Communications, the global industry leader in video surveillance, has released its latest research report, ‘The State of AI in Video Surveillance,’ which explores global industry perspectives on the use of AI in the security industry and beyond. The report reveals current attitudes on AI technologies thanks to in-depth interviews with AI experts from Axis’ global network and a comprehensive survey of more than 5,800 respondents, including distributors, channel partners, and end customers across 68 countries. The resulting insights cover AI integration and the opportunities and challenges that exist with regard to security, safety, business intelligence, and operational efficiency. Read Now

  • SIA Urges Tariff Relief for Security Industry Products

    Today, the Security Industry Association has sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick requesting relief from tariffs for security industry products and asking that the Trump administration formulate a process that allows companies to apply for product-specific exemptions. The security industry is an important segment of the U.S. economy, contributing over $430 billion in total economic impact and supporting over 2.1 million jobs. Read Now

  • Report Shows Cybercriminals Continue Pivot to Stealthier Tactics

    IBM recently released the 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index highlighting that cybercriminals continued to pivot to stealthier tactics, with lower-profile credential theft spiking, while ransomware attacks on enterprises declined. IBM X-Force observed an 84% increase in emails delivering infostealers in 2024 compared to the prior year, a method threat actors relied heavily on to scale identity attacks. Read Now

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.