By Joe Alton, M.D.
On July 4, 2022, parade spectators in Highland Park, Illinois were exposed to an active shooter.  This time, it was a 120-pound, 22-year-old man who calls himself “Awake the rapper.”  Dressed in women’s clothing, he fired  more than 70 rounds into the crowd from a nearby rooftop.  When the perpetrator was done, 7 were dead and 38 injured.  The event caused a dozen nearby municipalities to cancel fireworks displays due to the tragedy and concerns about further shootings.
Is there a way to increase the level of safety when attending concerts, parades, and other events?  As a medical preparedness advocate, I’ve written a lot about situational awareness: a calm vigilance that allows citizens to identify “anomalies” that may signal imminent violence.  That mindset will serve you well in these troubled times.  In that vein, here are some tips.
1. Always remain in a state of “Yellow Alert.”  Yellow alert simply means staying calm and being aware of your surroundings and the people around you.  When people are behaving strangely, take note, move away, and avoid them.
2. Always mentally map out routes of escape in your vicinity.  Where’s the nearest side street?  Is there a building or subway entrance that will get you out of harm’s way?  If you don’t know the immediate area, go to where you know the lay of the land.
3. If you have to make your way through or remain in a crowd, stay on the fringes.  The best seats at a concert may be in the center, but they also give you the least mobility.  If something happens, you’ll be caught in the midst of masses of people surging away from the violence.  If you are, the crowd is deciding your movements, not you.
