Experts explain how to protect yourself amid active shooter situation

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Public safety experts are weighing in on how you can try your best to stay safe during an active shooter situation, after a man opened fire in a Boulder grocery store Monday.

"Most people don't want to think about it, or acknowledge that they do and will happen, so they're unprepared," Alain Burrese, director of training at Reflex Protect and the author of Survive a Shooting, told KRDO about active shooter situations.

Buresse suggests having a plan for different scenarios. He told KRDO you should know where the exits are inside every building, and not just the main one since that probably won't be an option.

He said fighting back should be your last resort, but sometimes it's necessary.

"In some situations, your only option is to defend yourself, and you do that with whatever you have available," Burrese said.

First, Burrese and Douglas Parisi -- director of training at SafeDefend and former law enforcement -- agree, saying you should hide when you can, but make a point to get further from the suspect.

“Unless you have a barrier between you and the shooter, like a door or wall or something like that, you need to keep moving," Parisi told KRDO.

There are also steps you can take to try and prevent the situation all together. Parisi said if you notice a loved one or someone else acting strange, acknowledge it.

"If someone is saying something or posting something that's questionable, it's time to report them," he explained.

The FBI has released other resources for active shooter situations here.