March 10, 2010
Pentagon security officer Marvin L. Carraway Jr. was on duty the evening of March 4th when a gunman armed with two 9 mm semi-automatic weapons approached his booth and fired at him.
Fortunately, despite the short distance between the two, the bullet only grazed Carraway and he suffered minor injuries. Meanwhile, the shooter - identified as John Patrick Bedell of California - was fatally shot in the ensuing gunfire as other security officers rushed to the scene.
In an interview on CNN a few days later, Carraway was joined by fellow officers Jeffrey Amos and Colin Richards who talked about their dramatic experience. They all agreed that the memory of it will linger, but added that their professional training has offered them the necessary resilience and preparation.
"I guess that's what we're there for," Amos told the news source. "They train us for the job and we're there to do the job."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 61,000 Americans were injured by firearms in violence-related exchanges in 2008.
CrimeSafetySecurity.com says that individuals who are targeted in a shooting rampage should flee toward outdoor exits rather than windowless or dead-end rooms. If trapped in a first-floor room, it may be a good idea to use furniture to smash a window to allow escape. Fire extinguishers can also be used to spray a dense fog to block a shooter's view.
Survivors of gun violence may turn to the Trauma Resource Institute for tips on how to deal with the aftermath of a shooting and access resources that can help them thrive again.
