SALT LAKE CITY — How can we prevent an Aurora, Colo., shooting?

Where do you begin with something as big and as terrible as what happened in Aurora, Colo.?

I am saddened that some people were worried about their guns and seemed to give a passing glance at the victims, their families and their stories. I am impressed that Christian Bale came on his own dime to pay tribute to the victims. I am amazed by the bravery shown by some of the victims, throwing themselves in front of bullets to protect the ones they cared about. I am also determined to convey information to help prevent and identify these types of situations.

Being prepared vs. being paranoid

I wrote an article in April detailing what you can do to prepare for a mass shooting. The article concentrated on decisions and plans you should make if ever you find yourself caught in that type of situation. If you haven’t read it I strongly suggest you do, as it was written with the assistance of one of my colleagues who teaches on that type of response. If planning and research is not your thing then continue to react to situations and hope for the best.

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I do worry about the reaction by many Americans in thinking that their best plan is to purchase firearms, hopefully go to a concealed carry class and start packing heat everywhere they go. I think a lot of people forget that a gun doesn’t automatically protect you. You must have the mindset and the determination to practice with that firearm for it to be useful. Unfortunately a lot of people start putting that gun in their holster and get a false sense of courage or toughness, for lack of a better word.

Since I already spoke about protection, lets talk about prevention. I take pride in being a resident of this state and knowing that when a crisis happens, we seem to pull together and help each other out. Unfortunately, when suspicious things are going on or someone is acting out of the norm, we duck our heads and move on. I wonder if someone was walking through the parking lot and observed the Aurora shooter exiting the back door or putting on his body armor and gas mask and opted to ignore it, chalking it up to just being paranoid. I know I have said to myself that I am just being paranoid, but sometimes we need to take a second look.

Watch for the signs

The suspect in the Aurora shooting seemed to be a semi- normal guy on the outside; he acted the way he was supposed to act out in public. The signs are always there, though. This guy — along with many other people who perpetrate these types of crimes — wanted to be noticed, to be remembered. They know they are superior to others but no one seems to recognize this. The media plays right into this. His name should never be mentioned.

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The shooting suspect had seemed to be on a fairly standard course of life. Something changed drastically, and I can guarantee that people noticed. When the news broke initially about who the suspect was and contact was made to the mother of the suspect, it was reported that she said, “You have the right person,” in reference to her son. She has since attempted to clarify this statement, days later, stating she meant you have the right person in reference to herself. My gut reaction when I first heard that statement was that she was not surprised and her son is indeed the suspect. No shock seemed to be there. I’m not seeing clips of shocked family and friends. All we are getting is, “Well, he seemed like a normal kid.”

The first thing to do is to notice if you have a neighbor, friend or relative who departs drastically from his or her norm. I’m not saying everyone has the propensity to be a mass killer, and the odds are less than 1 percent that someone is headed in that direction. But someone in this person's life needs to be nosy. This person will probably start making odd statements on the Internet or in communications with you, things like, “These sheep deserve what they get,” or, “Look at all these people who have no idea.” He or she may start talking about examples that need to be made or say that the world needs to be woken up. If you hear these types of things, above all, trust your gut. If something feels weird, it probably is.

Gather information for police

The next thing to do is gather relevant information, whether it be Facebook posts, recordings, video or whatever else that shows strange behavior. I’m not saying throw on your spy gear and plant listening devices in your neighbor's rose bushes, but be vigilant. At any time, if you feel the threat or action is imminent, call the police. You pay us to respond to alarming situations. Some of us may be cranky that you're reporting that your friend is a nut job, but at least it starts an investigation.

I realize some people are intimidated when contacting the police. I'll admit that I, too, feel less than brave when calling about the neighbor's barking dog or the fireworks still going off at 2 in the morning — especially when the dispatcher is speaking to me like I just interrupted heart surgery. I just power through it and get the information out there so the authorities can do their job.

Evaluate property safety

The next step is for all businesses or building managers to take a hard look at their properties and identify issues that could lead to mass shootings. I used to work with people who were certified in a program called CPTED, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. These people would assist businesses in altering parts of their property, usually for cheap, that would assist in deterring crime. This could be as easy as removing a lot of signage and viewing obstructions from the front of your store windows so cops and bystanders can see in your store, thus making it easy to see you with your hands up and a person pointing a gun at you.

They might suggest putting up shrubbery or a fence so as to make an escape route after a crime not as easy. Vandals love to walk through a parking lot, graffiti a building and continue out the back alley. The fewer escape routes, the less likely it is that your business will be targeted. Movie theaters could alarm their back exits. They are there for fires, are they not? What would have happened if the Aurora shooter propped open the back door and an alarm went off?

Any business owner who has a property where a large amount of people may gather has a responsibility to plan for the worst, no matter how small the chance that something bad will happen. Those CPTED trained people are still out there, and a lot of it is commons sense. Ask your police department if they offer that type of guidance for your business.

Stay aware to stay safe

A lot of people have been saying that you are more likely to be struck by lightning or winning the lottery than being in a mass shooting situation. They make a good point that you should not let these types of occurrences affect your daily life, and they shouldn’t. But staying aware and keeping your head up keeps you from being surprised. I would rather be prepared, a little paranoid and extra vigilant than gambling with my families' lives and my own, no matter the odds. Unlike the first-person shooter video games the Aurora shooter probably played, I only get one life.

This article is not meant to be legal advice and I do not represent any specific agency or government. This is my opinion only and meant to be entertainment and or information only.

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