The debate on guns and gun laws encircles the country, specifically Washington D.C. Even President Obama himself is a champion of anti-gun movement. So your options other than law enforcement agencies, which are effective as best they can be due to budget restrictions, and CCTV cameras which only work most of the time, and then only provide after the incident information. You need to be on alert for your own safety. Often America is being shocked by horrific events that happen in a place where people least expect it – theaters! Don’t fool yourself, this is domestic terrorism!
Cinemas and public assess areas are supposed to be a safe place where people can relax and enjoy a good movie, food and togetherness in peace, but now you might give it a second thought before going into one.
Why do these things happen?
Forgive me for the question, I know it doesn’t make any sense, as most of you know that the motive is almost always vague due to the fact that the suspects were all radicals, had out of the mainstream beliefs, or in some cases were on drugs or are mentally unstable. But the real reason why theater and public are shootings happened is because of lack of security! Had there been security guards checking people at the entrances, the suspects might not have CHOSEN A PUBLIC PLACE TO ENACT THEIR DEADLY AGGRESSION and their potentially deadly intentions.
Sometimes people get lucky when an off duty law enforcement officer is there or SOMEONE LICENSED AND TRAINED TO HANDLE A SITUATION LIKE THIS, is present there to assess the situation and help prevent these dangerous men and women from unleashing their fury. But that is rare which is why being vigilant is your first line of defense against attackers like these.
The number of times it had happened
Theater safety has been a concern since the 1970’s. There have been several theater shootings before the Colorado shooting or the Louisiana theater shooting that happened just last week. Still, I think everyone will agree with me that all lives are important and that you have to take precautionary steps now, while yours is still intact and you’re still enjoying every moment of it. Just to remind you of how flimsy theater safety is, here’s a list of some of the theater shootings in the United States: This doesn’t even include malls, and other public places
1. Baltimore, Maryland 2006 – 25-year-old Mujtaba Jabbar shot Paul Schrum, 62 four times while they were watching “X-Men: The Last Stand.”
2. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2008 – James Joseph Cialella Jr. shot another movie goer, because he was disgusted with the man and his family’s talkative nuisance.
3. Lancaster, California 2010 – Landry Boullard stabbed another man in the theater that left him with a brain damage and a comatose state.
4. Aurora, Colorado 2012 – James Eagan Holmes killed 12 people with multiple automatic machine guns on the opening night of “The Dark Knight Rises.”
5. Lafayette, Louisiana 2015 – John Russell “Rusty” Houser gunned down Jillian Johnson, 33, and Mayci Breaux, 21, and critically injured several others inside a movie theater in Louisiana while watching a COMEDY. The two women have died of bullet wounds since the shooting.
What can you do to protect yourself?
Like I already mentioned before, you need to be vigilant. Look out for telltale signs of people who are acting strangely – if you’re not sure what to do and you don’t have PROPER training or a conceal carry firearms license in your state, then it’s better steer clear from them in a crowd immediately. As for other safety tips, here’s what you can do:
Call 911 and report the incident even if you’ve managed to get to safety. You never know how many lives you could save by alerting the authorities.
CONCEALED CARRY Weapons training.
Plan an escape by checking the entrances and exit points of a building UPON ENTRANCE
Learn to identify UNUSUAL and SUSPICIOUS behavior.
Look for places where you can safely hide and avoid being a victim (note: this is just a second option, your first options should be to run away if safe to do so.
Launch a petition at your local PUBLIC GATHERING PLACES LIKE MALLS, SHOPPING CENTERS IN ADDITION TO THEATERS, to help secure public hotspots that are vulnerable to attacks.
Encourage theater owners to consult with security services in order for them to ADD OR IMPROVE security in their place of business.
If you need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact my company:
Jeffrey H. James
Chairman
Illinois Licensed Private Detective 115-001564
Illinois Licensed Private Security Contractor 119-000989
Fellow of The American Board for Certification in Homeland Security
Member of The Chicago Crime Commission
Homeland Security Consulting & Investigations, Inc.
Toll Free Number: 844-4-HOMELAND
Direct or Text: 847-774-1000