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How to Spot an Armed Man in a Crowd

9K views 53 replies 41 participants last post by  NONAME762 
#1 · (Edited)
just got this email so i thought i would share it with you all.these are not my views or ideas, just thought it would make for an interesting discussion. Enjoy

Last night in the Clackamas Town Center Mall in Portand, Oregon a masked gunman opened fire in the food court killing two and then killing himself. The police have not yet released the identity of the gunman as they sort out the details behind the murders.

This hit particularly close to home since the wife of a friend was in that exact location only minutes before.

Active shooters and mass killings are now a part of everyday life. They happen more and more and as long as there are people willing to kill without any apparent reason other than a psychological defect YOU are going to have to be better AWARE of your surroundings. The police and mall security can not be everywhere. You need to wake up and pay attention or suffer the consequences.

If you refuse to take notice and take action you will be a victim. In this particular case the gunman was wearing a mask, which should be your first clue to take action. But even if the suspect is not wearing body armor, a mask or has a visible weapon there are a few things you can look for to spot someone carrying a concealed firearm.

Like "tells" in poker, people carrying a weapon will subconsciously let you know if they are armed.

1. The "Security Check"

This is when they will touch, or feel the weapon with their arm or hand. The arm will appear to be a little stiffer. Remember that 88% of the world is right handed so chances are their right hand will be doing the checking.

2. The "Weapon Dance"

These body movements are because the subject is concerned with the weapon falling out or slipping out of position and into view so they are constantly checking it. The result is in some or all of the following:

•Stiffer arm on gun side
•Touching or holding the gun over the clothes
•Bending toward the weapon slightly
•Bravado in their walk
•Running or moving quickly from police presence
•Turning from view to adjust the weapon
•Pulling shirt or jacket over the weapon•Shorter arm and leg swing on gun side
•Hand(s) in pocket
•Turning and holding gun in crowds
•Looking down at gun
•Arm or part of arm holding gun snug next to body
•Security hold with elbow
•Thumb drag (along the bottom of the shirt as if to access the weapon)
3. Are they "Gun Fashionable"

What they wear dictates if they can even conceal a weapon or not. It's harder to conceal a weapon in your swim suit than it is in your ski suit.

•Does the clothing match the season or weather
•Does the clothing match
•Is the clothing loose or baggy
•In cold weather, is the subject's coat open?
•Look for subjects only wearing one glove (Insert Michael Jackson Joke here)
•When concealed in a jacket pocket, hoodie or bag there will be a sag, FIREARMS HAVE WEIGHT!
•Shirt- tucked in or worn out?
•Do shoes, boots match clothing and conditions.
•Does work outfit match conditions
•Pants with out loops, but subject is wearing a belt
4. Ways firearms are concealed

•Waistband (front side or crook of back)
•Pants (pockets or cuffs)
•Jacket or hoodie pockets
•Hats and hoods
•Underwear
•Shoes, boots
•Bags
•Radios, cameras, video recorders (with the way technology is, anyone with a BOOM BOX should probably be arrested on sight.)
•Grocery bags, boxes, shopping bags, etc.
•Hollow books, newspapers, cigarette cartons
•Holsters (bought, made or stolen - all types)
•Bikes and motorcycles
•Vehicles
So what do you do if your faced with an Active Shooter?

The answer is simple, BUT NOT EASY.

RUN

If you can escape, use cover and GO FAST. If cover is not an option move away at an angle. This forces the gunman to make two adjustments for distance and lateral position. Zig zagging is NOT recommended because you will cross the weapon's path multiple times with ev change of direction. Chances are you'll only have to move several feet before you can find cover.

HIDE

If you can't escape the building, find some place to hide and hold up until help arrives or the threat is gone. A utility closet or office are good because they can be locked. Take cover and try to call for help.

FIGHT

Sometimes running away is not an option. If your life or the lives of others are in danger you can use deadly force. If you don't have a firearm, or you have a firearm and it does not stop the threat, you need to be able to systematically dismantle your target.

The Self Defense Training System shows you how to eliminate any threat in seconds. With your bare hands or even improvised weapons, like chair or a ball point pen. You need to be able to channel your will to survive and be able to adapt your will to your current physical and environmental conditions.

Look, if you want to hang your hat on hope- go right ahead, but if you want an option when some human waste of life decides to take innocent lives before he takes his own, than I offer you an option HERE.

The "call 9-1-1" answer doesn't work. Never has, never will. The response time is way too long. 5 minutes in the world of REAL violence is like 5 minutes underwater.

Let the other guy take chances, you know better.

No B.S. just...

Train Honestly,





Damian Ross, The Self Defense Company


The Self Defense Training System
Guardian Police Combatvies Program
Family Safe Program
Self Defense Company Instructor and Business Building Program
60 Minute Self Defense
Free Training Forum
The SDTS on Facebook
 
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#2 ·
In this case I think the mask would have been enough info.......I wouldn't get to hung up on looking for tells that somebody is carrying. You should probably look more towards tells of bad intentions.

I'm not worried about the other concealed carriers like us...I'm worried about the miscreant up to something nefarious.
 
#4 ·
My family plays the "Pick Out The People Who Are CC'ing" when we go to the malls. We use the majority of Ruger 91 Weapons Dance input. The biggest give away that I have seen is the persons constant need to feel the weapon with their arm or hand. We are all aware of our surroundings at all times when at the mall, escape routes, safe areas, others actions etc.
 
#5 ·
Dang, that requires a LOT of my detailed attention being paid in a LOT of directions. I'm not that smart or quick, so I'm just gonna' play it safe & assume that EVERYBODY is armed. And make ABSOLUTELY SURE that...I AM!
 
#9 ·
I don't know who this Damian Ross/The Self Defense Company is, but (IMHO) if the above diatribe is an example of his instruction, I'm reminded of what my dear ol' Pappy once said about a fella'. Son, that man is all hat...and no cattle.
 
#12 ·
I think the OP was trying to point out two things...and he is directing it toward the "average" concealed weapons carrier/person...
However, I reserve the right to be wrong!!!


1. Always stay up on your Situational Awareness...

2. Be prepared with a plan to either Escape, Evade, or Engage...

JMO
 
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#17 ·
Heyyy, wait a minute. Now you're making fun of my new...hat holster?!? No hijack here, but do y'all prefer OHB or IHB (outside/inside head band) hat holsters? Or the new Remora that just sticks behind your ear with NO HAT at all? Please help, 'cause I just can't decide. :hand5:
 
#21 ·
Instead of trying to help people identify the law abiding citizen who is legally carrying a concealed handgun perhaps this company should tell people to stop looking at their phones so that they can see that the lunatic who is pointing the gun at the crowd of people is the lunatic who is about to pull the trigger and shoot the people in the crowd.
 
#22 ·
Realistically though...

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't frequent malls very often. When I do I have my hands full just trying to find the store I want to visit and try not to get lost and what way to get out just to find my vehicle. I get lost!

Much less the overwhelming task of the mass of bumper to bumper humanity trying to maintain a condition "yellow" approach. IMHO, you're not going to notice anything out of the ordinary until you hear that unmistakable sound of, "bang, bang, bang".

The only exception is sexy women in skimpy cloths the wife doesn't see you looking at.

With that said, tell me, condition "yellow" is actually condition "boner" as you look at all the candy in the store? Or am I off base and need to be looking at all the sales flyer's in the store fronts?
 
#54 ·
I see an awful lot of you in me Dennis. While reading your post I got a real good chuckle with that last paragraph.
For starters I really can't recall the last time I was at the huge Mall just 20 minutes from me. Say 6 years ago around Christmas for a present for the impossible to shop for.

I learned a way long time ago the hard way to park behind the Sear's store ALWAYS. The back lot is never full so I can park close to the entrance. Going into the store takes me past the hand and power tools department (where I often would linger) and soon I'm in the main walkway heading for my destination which is about 10 minutes away.

By and large there were just 2 stores there where I would go, Sear's mainly for specialty tools for my job. There was just one other reason to head for the Mall and I will get to that soon.

Like Dennis said there's just way too many folks at a Mall to try and watch everyone and still get your shopping done. So I just try to remain vigilant, get what I went there for and get back to my truck.

As Dennis mentioned there's just one other reason for me to go to the Mall. That's right guys...all those perty ladies in those skimpy tight outfits. And for me Condition Yellow really is the strong possibility of Condition Boner. When my shopping is done I try to spy me a bench with an excellent field of fire so to speak. Then I just set down my weary bones and gaze and gawk and try not to stare too much or appear as tho I'm the Big Bad Wolf searching for my dinner.

Anywho while the young ladies are fun to look at I'm just no match for them. Older women are more my style but so many are jaded or just plain outta my league. I admit to that and am OK with it. Well...maybe OK ain't the word. More like resigned to my fate. I've been a bachelor all my life. Oh well tho lonely at times at least my life is uncomplicated most of the time.
 
#25 ·
I remember reading something shortly after 9/11. The Israelis told us (regarding airport security) something to the effect of "You conduct your security by looking for weapons. We conduct our security by looking for terrorists." It's not the fact that a person has a weapon, it's what they intend to do with it. That's the hard part to figure out. Probably a fair number of law-abiding concealed-carriers fit the descriptions above. Hopefully we can somehow figure out "yeah, he/she's carrying, doesn't seem to be a threat" and move on to someone more pressing.

Can't say I know the answer though.
 
#51 ·
I remember reading something shortly after 9/11. The Israelis told us (regarding airport security) something to the effect of "You conduct your security by looking for weapons. We conduct our security by looking for terrorists." It's not the fact that a person has a weapon, it's what they intend to do with it. That's the hard part to figure out. Probably a fair number of law-abiding concealed-carriers fit the descriptions above. Hopefully we can somehow figure out "yeah, he/she's carrying, doesn't seem to be a threat" and move on to someone more pressing.

Can't say I know the answer though.
I agree with the bolded part.

Maybe a simpler way of putting it is guns don't kill people; people kill people.

I don't want to get off topic but this is one reason I never have an issue with someone who OC. The BG might worry about him/her but not me.
 
#26 ·
Great thread it proves without a doubt that you can believe some of the stuff you read on the internet some of the time.
I better Bookmark this.
 
#27 ·
Anybody who's been around the block a few times can pick up on certain body language.

IMO, all this e-mail does is make those who haven't been around the block a few times become paranoid and convinced everybody they see is about to shoot the place up.
 
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#28 ·
"Active shooters and mass killings are an everyday part of life"

No, they're not. They are very much the exception to the rule.

Besides we all know that the Gun Free Zone signs they had at that mall are huge deterrents. Obviously the shooter was illiterate. This is a failure of the education system not a gun control issue. If he'd been able to read those signs he never would've taken that gun into the mall.
 
#30 ·
everyone in Florida carries a gun, so the article is meaningless....unless you are alarmed by legally licensed citizens.

I do however pay very close attention to young guys wearing long black trench coats in August, guys with dyed blood red hair, and anyone wearing a
hockey mask any day that is not Halloween and away from the ice rink.
 
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