Active Shooter Seminar

When the unthinkable happens, you need to be prepared.

"Being prepared for a situation, in case if something were to ever happen," Class participant, Chance Morris said. "Most people don't think about if you are walking in the mall and something were to happen."

An active shooter is onsight, and killing everything that stands in front of the barrel of their gun, causing many people to panic. However, Hattiesburg warns residents, panicking is the wrong reaction.

"First thing, you do is be aware," Hattiesburg police officer, Lt. Allen Murray said. "Always be aware of your surroundings. Know who is coming in, know who is going out."

Being aware is the first step to surviving a mass shooting.

"Now if you can't disengage from the scene, that's when you need to start preparing to deny the threat from coming to you," Lt. Murray said. "That's where you can put yourself in certain offices, rooms, barricade the doors."

Then, when all the above fails.

"Then, you have to go to defend yourself by whatever means necessary," Lt. Murray said. "You may have to get a cup of hot coffee, you may have to get a laptop, you have to get a pair of scissors. Anything, you can use to defend yourself. The only unfair fight there is... is the one you lose."

In just this year, there have been more than 270 mass shootings in the United States, which is the reason why the Hattiesburg Police Department believes local business owners should educated themselves how to react in such a situation.

"With them going through this training they can prevent a lot from happening" Lt. Murray said. "If it is going on, then they can get away from it... if it is not going on, they can avoid it.

Hattiesburg Police Department wants to remind the public it is important to always have a plan when the unthinkable happens.