Surviving a mass shooting; expert says time can be on your side

(WXYZ) - They had little or no time to react. As the gunman sprayed the crowd watching the new Batman movie, living or dying may have depended on split second decisions.

According to psychologist Kenneth Wolf, Ph.D., there are simple moves that can help save your life in a crisis.

Wolf, who heads up Incident Management Team, a crisis and violence consulting company, says the most important thing is not to freeze. And remember time is not on the side of whoever is on the attack.

“In these situations time equals human life. The more you can delay the perpetrator – by that time rescue personnel are coming,” Wolf said.

Since moviegoers had no warning before the attack early last Friday morning Wolf says dropping to the ground may have been one of their only and best options. Standing could put you in the line of fire.

“When you have no other option, you can either sit there or you can say, you know what, even if I get hurt, even if I get injured – if I have coworkers or people around me, let’s make a plan to assault the gunman,” Wolf said.

And in any public space you can increase your chance of survival during an attack by making quick observations. For example, check for emergency exits and stay aware of your surroundings.