I hate this term:
“Flash mob”
The reason I hate it is because, when many people think of “flash mobs”, they think of cutesy pranks, like people dressed up in the same costume who show up in a shopping mall and perform choreographed dance moves.
Sometimes, “flash mobs” coordinated through social media are also used to promote movies or other events.
But more and more, lately, we’re seeing the term used in the news by gutless reporters who don’t want to admit that our society has a serious mob violence problem.
And as bad as that problem is getting, there’s a very dangerous threat in any flash mob that, so far, NOBODY is warning people about!
That’s why I need to share with you. . .
The Hidden Danger In Flash Mobs (That No One Is Talking About)
Ok, while on some level most people understand that a large mob can be dangerous, “flash mobs” are different:
- They’re VERY well pre-planned – often set to trigger at a very specific day and time (down to the second!)
- They have a singular purpose – usually for something stupid like a dance that promotes a movie or something – but not always…
- One of those “purposes” is now to inflict VIOLENCE on innocent bystanders!
Instant, vicious, violence!
Sometimes these attacks are on specific “types” of people – like at the Wisconsin State Fair, when a group of black patrons began attacking white fair-goers and their families exactly at “go-time”.
Other times, the participants don’t care WHO they’re attacking.
And while most of these mobs are limited to a few strikes being thrown, you and I both know that things are getting FAR more heated as our politics divide us more and more, right?
And here’s what most people don’t understand about the “hidden danger” of these flash mobs…
… GUNS!
In the past, bringing firearms to a flash mob was a big no-no for the organizers.
But that’s all changed…
… now – no matter what the “plan” is – it only takes ONE armed participant to create mass panic… and MASS CASUALTIES!
Just a couple of years ago, a staggering NINE HUNDRED “teens” stormed a shopping mall in Florida.
The mob of violent, rioting “teens” acted like they wouldn’t be happy until somebody died.
They committed armed robberies of people going to the movies. . .
. . . They assaulted people physically, targeting people seemingly at random. . .
. . .And they even fired their (illegal?) guns into the crowd, laughing as they did it.
In other words…
A flash mob is the perfect cover for an “active shooter” scenario!
Now, I know that when you think of “active shooters,” you probably picture terrorists and “lone wolf” lunatics — the kind of people who shoot up a school or who show up at work with a gun after they get fired, right?
But as the people in that Florida mall found out, an “active shooter” can just as easily be a member of a “flash mob” who thinks it would be great fun to shoot into a crowd of people.
Any time shots are fired in a mob violence incident (or in ANY scenario), you only have a split-second to spring into action…
…And the WRONG move could get you killed!
Here are three quick tips if you ever find yourself out in public when shots are fired:
1. Cover Is Not Concealment
Bullets aren’t impressed by walls, hollow-core doors, and most furniture.
They’ll pass right through the majority of those barriers.
You have to make sure, if you take cover in an active shooting event, that you’re not hiding behind something too light to stop a round.
An upholstered chair is just cloth over a wood framework with some foam inside.
Any part of a car that isn’t the engine is too thin to stop a bullet.
A hollow-core door and your typical sheet-rock wall won’t stop your brother-in-law Kyle from punching through them in a Monster-energy-drink-fueled rage. . .
. . . so they sure won’t stop a 9mm or a .223 round.
When you “dive for cover” in a shooting, therefore, understand that while it may conceal you from vision, it won’t stop him from shooting you.
If the shooter saw where you went, he could easily chase you with bullets.
2. Don’t Run In A Straight Line!
Now, you don’t have to wave your arms above your head and shout, “Serpentine! Serpentine!”
What you DO have to do is avoid running in a straight line.
Active shooters tend to have tunnel vision.
A lot of them shoot like they’re playing a First Person Shooter video game.
If you run in a straight line, they’ll track you and shoot you easily.
If you “get off the X,” however, and move laterally to take yourself out of the relatively narrow cone of their vision down the barrel of their weapon, you’ll have a greater chance to get away alive.
3. Avoid Sudden, Large Crowds At ALL COSTS
There has been a rash of these “flash mob” robberies in recent weeks.
They’re all over the news now, and they’re getting more violent.
Groups of ten, twenty, fifty, or even hundreds of people will storm into a store and take anything that isn’t nailed down.
If you’re in a store or other public place where this happens, leave immediately.
Don’t take out your phone and film it.
Don’t think you’re going to take on a mob by yourself, no matter how you’re armed.
Don’t try to call 911 from inside the crowd.
Leave immediately and call for police assistance once you’re clear.
That’s the only way to ensure your safety.
It’s up to YOU to protect yourself and those you love.
You and I both know that the police won’t be right there in front of you when all of a sudden violence erupts all around you and you hear gunshots, right?
Stay safe out there.
