Active Attacks Can Happen Anywhere
In August 2024, Austrian law enforcement foiled a planned suicide attack on a Taylor swift concert. According to the CIA, two radicalized teenage suspects intended to kill tens of thousands of people with explosives.
Thankfully this attack was shut down before it ever happened. But in a world where terrorism threats are on the rise, how can you keep your family safe at public venues? It might sound strange, but to be a good protector, you need to start by thinking like an attacker.
Don’t Let Down Your Guard
It’s easy to adopt a false sense of security when attending large-scale public events like concerts, sports games, and festivals. These venues typically have weapon-free policies, enforced by security guards and metal detectors. However, as we learned in the tragic 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, mass killers often employ inventive solutions for circumventing area security.
Using the Attacker Mindset to Defend
As a responsible, law-abiding citizen, you generally think like a moral, sane person. In 99% of cases, that’s a good thing. But when it comes to family security, you need to allow your brain to temporarily think like a bad guy.
Former US Navy SEAL and FBI Special Agent, Jonathan T. Gilliam, describes this as taking on the “Attacker Mindset.” In his book, Sheep No More, Gilliam explains that thinking like an attacker is critical to having a proper security posture.
Let’s say you take your family to a concert, theme park, or festival. As you enter the venue, ask yourself questions like, if I was a bad guy, how would I carry out an attack here? What are the weak points in security? Where are the maximum number of people congregated? What kind of attack would be most effective? This will help inform your plans for a worst-case scenario.
In the thwarted Taylor Swift concert plot, the attackers planned to detonate a car bomb outside of the concert venue, where they knew that tens of thousands of fans would be congregated. This was a location that they could easily access without alerting security. They knew based on past Taylor Swift concerts that a large number of people would be congregated there.
As a law-abiding, moral individual, it can feel strange, or even wrong, to get into the mindset of an attacker. However, as a protector, it is important to think strategically about how a bad guy would hit the target. This will help you make informed decisions and stay one step ahead of a potential attacker.
Stay in Condition Yellow
The next step to keeping your family safe at public events is staying alert. Don’t allow yourself to be completely sucked into the entertainment at hand. Keep part of your brain aware of your surroundings at all times. Does anything seem off? Out of place? If so, investigate or take action – don’t ignore it.
While this extra mental effort may seem like a fast way to ruin all of the fun, with some practice, it’s something you can do in the background.
Most people move through life in what Colonel Jeff Cooper referred to as “condition white”. In this state, an individual is tuned out and unaware of their surroundings. Outside of your home, you should never be in condition white.
Instead, remain in “condition yellow” – a state that is relaxed, but aware. Remember that maintaining your situational awareness is key to detecting potential threats. By keeping your head up and your senses alert, you’ll be able to enjoy whatever you’re doing without compromising security.
Have an Escape Plan
If a worst-case scenario happens while you’re at a public venue, your family will be relying on you to get them out of harm’s way. Having an effective escape plan requires pre-identifying avenues of escape. What are your primary exits? What are your secondary exits if primary exits are obstructed by crowds, fires, or structural damage?
If a mass attack takes place in a crowded venue, most people will attempt to escape by the same entrance they used to enter the facility. Identifying alternative exits, as well as places to hide if absolutely necessary, will give you a significant edge in a bad situation.
Identifying your exits is a good habit to get into anytime you’re in a public place, including restaurants, bars, cafes, and movie theaters. It takes a few extra seconds, but could save your life.
Parting Thoughts
In an ideal world, we could enjoy time with our families in public without ever worrying about threats. Unfortunately, that is not the world we live in. While America is a relatively safe country to live in, we are not immune to terrorist attacks or mass casualty events.
The next time you take your family out to a public place, remember to use the Attacker Mindset to assess the area, stay alert, and have a plan for getting out fast if things go sideways.
