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| A stock illustration depicts an active shooter emergency response as people evacuate a public building while police and emergency medical crews arrive. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends evacuating when possible, hiding when escape is not an option, and taking action against an attacker only as a last resort when a person’s life is in imminent danger. |
What to Do During an Active Shooter: DHS Guidance That Could Save Your Life
By Digital Staff Reporter
iSkyNews.com (ISN) – Published August 22nd, 2026
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — An active shooter situation can erupt without warning and unfold in a matter of minutes. Before police officers can reach the scene, the people caught inside may be forced to make immediate decisions about whether to escape, hide or, as an absolute last resort, fight for their lives.
Guidance published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lays out what people should know before an emergency occurs, what actions to take when a shooter is nearby and what to expect when law enforcement arrives.
The guidance also stresses something simple that can be done long before an emergency: pay attention to your surroundings and know how you would get out.
Active Shooter Incidents Can Unfold in Minutes
DHS defines an active shooter as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. The agency notes that there is generally no predictable pattern or method in how victims are selected.
These situations are unpredictable and can evolve extremely quickly.
According to the DHS guidance, active shooter incidents are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, potentially before law enforcement officers arrive. Because of that, DHS says people should be mentally and physically prepared to respond to an emergency.
Know Where the Exits Are Before Something Happens
Preparation doesn't necessarily mean complicated training.
DHS recommends being aware of your environment and any potential dangers when entering a building. People should also make a habit of identifying the two nearest exits at facilities they visit.
If someone is inside an office when an attack begins, DHS recommends staying there and securing the door when evacuation isn't possible. Someone caught in a hallway should attempt to get into a room and secure the door.
That awareness could become especially important in locations people visit every day, including workplaces, stores, restaurants, entertainment venues and other public facilities.
First Option: Evacuate If You Safely Can
When an active shooter is nearby, DHS says people should quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect their own lives.
If there is an accessible escape route, the first option outlined by DHS is to evacuate.
People should have an escape route and plan in mind and leave even if others decide not to follow.
DHS advises people to:
- Leave personal belongings behind.
- Help others escape when possible.
- Prevent people from unknowingly entering an area where the shooter may be located.
- Keep their hands visible.
- Follow instructions from police officers.
- Avoid attempting to move wounded people while escaping.
- Call 911 once they have reached safety.
DHS also notes that customers and visitors may look to employees and managers for direction during an emergency, making it particularly important for workers to understand their facility's emergency procedures.
Second Option: Hide If You Cannot Get Out
Sometimes there simply isn't a safe way to escape.
If evacuation isn't possible, DHS recommends finding a location where the shooter is less likely to find you.
An effective hiding place should be outside the shooter's view and provide protection if shots are fired in your direction. A room with a closed and locked door is one example provided in the DHS guidance.
At the same time, DHS cautions against choosing a hiding location that completely traps you or unnecessarily restricts your ability to move if circumstances change.
Doors should be locked and, when possible, barricaded using heavy furniture.
If the shooter is nearby, DHS recommends taking additional steps to avoid drawing attention to the hiding location.
Lock the door, silence cellphones and other electronic devices, turn off radios and televisions, hide behind large objects such as cabinets or desks and remain quiet.
What If You Call 911 But Can't Talk?
Calling 911 remains important, but there could be circumstances where speaking to a dispatcher would reveal your hiding place.
DHS addresses that possibility directly.
If it is possible to safely contact 911, callers should alert police to the shooter's location. However, if someone cannot safely speak, DHS recommends leaving the telephone line open so the dispatcher can listen to what is happening.
Fighting Back Is the Last Resort
DHS identifies taking action against an active shooter as the third option, but emphasizes that it should only be considered as a last resort when a person's life is in imminent danger.
When evacuation and hiding are no longer possible, the guidance says a person may attempt to disrupt or incapacitate the attacker.
The DHS publication advises acting aggressively, throwing objects or using improvised weapons, yelling and fully committing to the action.
The guidance does not present confronting the attacker as the preferred response. Evacuation comes first when a safe escape route exists, followed by hiding when escape is not possible.
What Happens When Police Arrive?
The arrival of law enforcement can create another confusing and frightening moment for people trying to escape.
DHS explains that the primary purpose of the first officers entering the scene is to stop the active shooter as quickly as possible.
Officers are expected to proceed toward the area where the last shots were heard. Depending on the situation, responding officers may be wearing regular patrol uniforms or tactical equipment, including body armor and helmets.
They may be armed with handguns, rifles or shotguns. Officers could also use pepper spray or tear gas, shout commands or push people to the ground for their safety.
For someone who has just experienced a terrifying event, some of those actions may initially be confusing. DHS emphasizes that people should remain calm and immediately follow officers' instructions.
Keep Your Hands Empty and Visible
One of the most important things people can do when encountering responding officers is make it immediately clear that they are not a threat.
DHS recommends putting down anything being carried, including bags or jackets, and immediately raising your hands and spreading your fingers.
Hands should remain visible at all times.
People should avoid making sudden movements toward officers, including grabbing onto an officer for safety. DHS also advises against pointing, screaming or yelling while approaching police.
When evacuating, people should continue moving in the direction from which officers are entering rather than stopping officers to ask for help or directions.
What Information Does 911 Need?
Someone escaping the scene may have information that responding officers desperately need.
According to DHS, useful information to provide to police officers or a 911 dispatcher includes:
- The location of the shooter.
- The number of shooters, if there is more than one.
- A physical description of the shooter or shooters.
- The number and type of weapons being used.
- The approximate number of potential victims at the location.
Even partial information could help responding officers better understand what they are entering.
Why Officers May Pass Injured Victims
One of the most difficult things for victims and witnesses to understand during an active shooter response may be seeing police officers move past someone who has been injured.
DHS explains that the first officers arriving are there to stop the shooter and may not immediately stop to provide medical assistance.
Additional officers and emergency medical personnel are expected to follow as rescue teams. Those teams are responsible for treating and removing injured people.
DHS says rescuers may also ask able-bodied individuals to assist with removing wounded victims from the area.
Don't Immediately Leave the Assembly Area
Getting outside of the building doesn't necessarily mean someone is immediately free to leave the scene.
Once survivors reach a safe location or designated assembly point, DHS says law enforcement may keep them there until the situation is under control and witnesses have been identified and interviewed.
People should not leave the designated area until law enforcement authorities tell them they can do so.
Businesses Should Have a Plan Before an Emergency
The DHS guidance isn't only directed at individuals. A significant portion focuses on how businesses, managers and employees can prepare.
DHS recommends developing an Emergency Action Plan, commonly referred to as an EAP, and conducting training exercises.
An effective emergency plan should involve several stakeholders, potentially including human resources, training departments, building owners or operators, property managers and local emergency responders.
The plan should include a preferred method for reporting emergencies, evacuation policies and procedures, escape routes and safe areas, emergency contact information and information about nearby hospitals.
DHS also recommends having an emergency notification system capable of alerting people throughout a facility as well as appropriate outside agencies.
Training Should Go Beyond Having a Plan on Paper
Writing an emergency plan is one thing. Knowing how to use it under pressure is another.
DHS recommends conducting active shooter training exercises and says local law enforcement can be a resource when developing those exercises.
Training can include recognizing the sound of gunfire, reacting quickly after hearing shots or witnessing a shooting, understanding when to evacuate or hide, calling 911 and knowing how to react when police arrive.
Training should also reinforce that physically confronting an attacker is a last-resort option.
Buildings Should Have Multiple Evacuation Routes
DHS recommends facilities maintain at least two evacuation routes and clearly post evacuation information throughout the building.
The agency also encourages businesses and organizations to involve local law enforcement and first responders in training exercises.
That can include police, emergency responders, SWAT teams, K-9 units and bomb squads training for potential active shooter emergencies at the location.
Managers May Become Leaders During the Emergency
Employees and customers are likely to look toward managers during an emergency.
DHS says managers should understand their facility's Emergency Action Plan and be prepared to take immediate action.
That includes remaining calm, locking and barricading doors when appropriate and evacuating employees and customers along predetermined routes to safe areas.
Emergency plans and evacuation instructions should also account for individuals with disabilities or other special needs.
Planning for What Happens Afterward
The emergency response does not end when the shooter is stopped.
DHS recommends that organizations conduct post-incident assessments, including accounting for people at designated assembly areas and determining whether anyone remains missing or injured.
Organizations should also have a process for notifying the families of people affected by the incident, including when there are casualties.
The guidance additionally recommends evaluating the psychological condition of people who were at the scene and referring those who need assistance to appropriate health care specialists.
After an incident, DHS recommends conducting an analysis and preparing an after-action report.
That report can document how the organization responded, identify what worked and what failed, evaluate the effectiveness of the existing emergency plan and establish improvements for future emergencies.
A Few Seconds of Preparation Can Matter
Nobody walks into work, a restaurant, a store or another public building expecting to face an active shooter.
That's exactly why DHS stresses preparation before an emergency ever occurs.
Something as simple as noticing the exits when entering a building, understanding where you could safely shelter and knowing how to behave when police arrive can remove some of the uncertainty during an extraordinarily fast-moving emergency.
The core guidance is straightforward: evacuate when you safely can, hide when you cannot escape and physically confront the attacker only as a last resort when your life is in imminent danger.
And once law enforcement arrives, keep your hands visible, follow instructions and remember that the first officers moving past you may be heading directly toward the threat.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, “Active Shooter: How to Respond,”
iSkyNews.com encourages readers to familiarize themselves with emergency procedures at their workplace, school and other locations they regularly visit. In an emergency, call 911 when it is safe to do so.
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