You think you hear gunshots in a public place. How should you respond?

Rapid-fire gunshots in Sacramento early Sunday morning struck 18 people, killing six and sent others downtown running from the chaos.

In California, a state known for its strict gun laws and regulations, several shootings took place over the weekend. The mass shooting in Sacramento was the second in the area in barely a month.

While no one wants to find themselves in these situations, it is important to be prepared and think ahead in the case of a nearby active shooter. Here are some tips on what to do when you hear gunshots:

The following information was originally published in the Raleigh News & Observer, another McClatchy news outlet, on Nov. 31, 2021, after a shooting in North Carolina.

The News & Observer talked with Mike Clumpner, an expert on active shooter situations and the president of Threat Suppression Inc., a Charlotte-based public safety training and consulting organization.

How to tell if you’re hearing gunshots

If you’re on a normal or routine outing in a public place you might not expect to hear gunshots.

That can lead people to have a sense of distrust or disbelief if they hear a loud noise in those places, Clumpner said. Instead of thinking that you’re hearing gunshots, you might instead think it’s a more “normal,” everyday noise, such as a car backfiring or construction noise. “

Always remember this: We believe what our eyes see, we semi-trust what our nose smells and we tend to not trust what our ears hear,” Clumpner said.

“So, when we hear stuff, we will frequently try — especially if it’s something that doesn’t fit in the norm — we try to justify it into what we would expect to hear in the norm.”

It’s also common for people to confuse the sound of gunshots with fireworks, but Clumpner said that unless it’s the Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve, it’s probably not fireworks that you’re hearing. Here’s what to do if you think you hear gunshots.

If you hear a noise you think might be gunshots, Clumpner urges people to fight through disbelief quickly.

Clumpner said the average interaction time between an active shooter or assailant and their targets is about 20 seconds, leaving you little time to figure out what the noise is, let alone decide what course of action to take or how to protect yourself.

“Take a deep breath immediately and then from there, start trying to figure out exactly what you need to do,” Clumpner said.

If you’re unsure about what you’re hearing, Clumpner said, it’s always a safe bet to run away or leave.

“If you think you hear gunshots, or even if a fight breaks out in front of you, move. Leave. Get out of there,” Clumpner said. “The safest thing you can ever do in these events is to leave the area.”

While you might be curious about the noise or want to know where it’s coming from — or even film the incident — it’s not safe to run toward the noise.

“Don’t stay and try and figure out what’s going on,” Clumpner said.

And, if the noise does turn out to be something like a car backfiring after all, Clumpner said, at least you took the steps to make sure you were safe.

“If it turned out to be some balloons popping and you ran out the door, guess what? It’s no harm, no foul. That is totally fine. It’s okay,” Clumpner said. “Don’t wait for confirmation that you’re actually in the middle of a mass shooting event, or just a single shooter.”

To be more sure about what a loud noise is, or whether there’s a safety risk near you, it helps to be prepared and be aware of your surroundings.

What to do in the case of an active shooter

Here’s how to respond when an active shooter is present, according to a booklet from the Department of Homeland Security.

• If a pathway is clear, evacuate and run away. Make sure to keep your hands up and to continue running once clear of danger. At a safe place, call 911.
• If leaving is not an option, find a place to hide. A hiding place should be out of the shooter’s view, provide protection in the case of gunshots and not trap you. If possible, lock the door and blockade it with heavy furniture.
• As a last case scenario, take action against the shooter. Suggestions include acting aggressively, throwing items such as weapons and yelling.

When you call 911, keep in mind:

• Try to call from a safe location. If you’ve decided to run away from the shooting, call after you’re far away. If you’ve decided to hide, wait to call until you’re in a safe, barricaded location.
• Give as many details to the operator as possible. Describe where you are, what you saw and, if possible, what the assailant looks like.
• It might be difficult to get your call through. When there’s an emergency, such as an active shooter situation, lots of people can call 911 at the same time, which could overload phone lines. Keep trying, but keep in mind there’s a “very high likely chance” that you won’t get through, Clumpner said.

This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 2:38 PM.