Yelling fire in a movie theater when the fire is across the street...?
March 10, 2018 9:01 PM Subscribe
Someone yelled "active shooter" in a movie theater today, causing a great deal of panic. I'm trying to process this. Was their action right, wrong, or somewhere in between?
I was watching A Wrinkle In Time at an outdoor mall that is across the street from an indoor mall. The theater was full of kids and included a couple birthday parties where 20+ kids were sitting together and the adults were in a different row. Unbeknownst to us, there were shots fired at the indoor mall, causing rumors of an "active shooter"; all the stores at both malls went into lockdown. The movie theater evidently sent employees into each showing to turn on the lights, explain what was happening, and have everyone remain seated.
A parent in my showing happened to be in the lobby getting snacks while this news was first spreading, though, and took it upon himself to run back into my showing and start yelling "active shooter". Total mayhem ensued and everyone evacuated onto the busy street corner outside-- in the pouring rain-- and started running. Kids and parents were screaming and crying, trying to find each other and it was generally horrible.
I get that the parent was terrified and just acting on instinct, but is it wrong to be kinda mad too, or at least critical? He sent us running toward the shooting, and toward some rather dangerous traffic, too. It felt a lot less safe outside, running around trying to find cover, than it would have felt inside with the lights on.
Note: there wasn't, after all, an active shooter; a security guard fired a few shots at an attempted robbery. Not really relevant to my question since nobody knew the truth at this point, but luckily nobody was hurt.
I was watching A Wrinkle In Time at an outdoor mall that is across the street from an indoor mall. The theater was full of kids and included a couple birthday parties where 20+ kids were sitting together and the adults were in a different row. Unbeknownst to us, there were shots fired at the indoor mall, causing rumors of an "active shooter"; all the stores at both malls went into lockdown. The movie theater evidently sent employees into each showing to turn on the lights, explain what was happening, and have everyone remain seated.
A parent in my showing happened to be in the lobby getting snacks while this news was first spreading, though, and took it upon himself to run back into my showing and start yelling "active shooter". Total mayhem ensued and everyone evacuated onto the busy street corner outside-- in the pouring rain-- and started running. Kids and parents were screaming and crying, trying to find each other and it was generally horrible.
I get that the parent was terrified and just acting on instinct, but is it wrong to be kinda mad too, or at least critical? He sent us running toward the shooting, and toward some rather dangerous traffic, too. It felt a lot less safe outside, running around trying to find cover, than it would have felt inside with the lights on.
Note: there wasn't, after all, an active shooter; a security guard fired a few shots at an attempted robbery. Not really relevant to my question since nobody knew the truth at this point, but luckily nobody was hurt.
It’s wrong. It’s understandable because people panic, but it’s still wrong, because the person’s actions, even in the event of an active shooter, would not have helped anyone in the theater. And as you say, they could have even put people at greater risk.
posted by lunasol at 9:37 PM on March 10, 2018 [18 favorites]
posted by lunasol at 9:37 PM on March 10, 2018 [18 favorites]
It’s absolutely not wrong to feel mad or critical. I know most any American parent has felt a lot of anxiety about this kind of thing lately. But this was a bad call. There has to be a plan, and the employees were carrying out a plan. What he did was the opposite of a plan.
posted by Countess Elena at 9:45 PM on March 10, 2018 [15 favorites]
posted by Countess Elena at 9:45 PM on March 10, 2018 [15 favorites]
Folks get stupid when in a panic.
That said, I guess I'd rather have someone yell "active shooter" and end up with it not being true than having no warning and just sitting there being shot, if I had to choose.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:49 PM on March 10, 2018 [10 favorites]
That said, I guess I'd rather have someone yell "active shooter" and end up with it not being true than having no warning and just sitting there being shot, if I had to choose.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:49 PM on March 10, 2018 [10 favorites]
Authorities wait and stammer and kill time and fuck up in these scenarios all the time, and leave people to get hurt like sitting ducks. The guy probably heard "active shooter" and wanted to save their kid. I can't really blame anyone for that. In terms of "platonic" rightness or wrongness, in "general" it's not good to cause a panic. But under some circumstances it's the right thing to do.
posted by bleep at 10:28 PM on March 10, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by bleep at 10:28 PM on March 10, 2018 [6 favorites]
I’m so sorry this happened. I have friends who were at work at the Galleria today and from what I heard the scene in the mall was total panic. It sounds to me like this guy didn’t have a lot of information and was trying to get the kids (his included) out of an enclosed space and away from the scene, but did it in a poorly thought out way. It isn’t wrong to be annoyed but I don’t think this guy was totally wrong in his actions. It’s not wrong to yell fire in a theater if you actually think there’s a fire and people need to be warned.
posted by moonlight on vermont at 11:08 PM on March 10, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by moonlight on vermont at 11:08 PM on March 10, 2018 [4 favorites]
This feels like a “no good answers” situation. I’d be pretty angry with the panicked parent myself, given the result, and because spreading panic is usually a bad idea. But it’s a pretty understandable action.
It’s also a terrible context to deal with: most people in a movie theater will probably have never had any kind of active shooter training, so panic is the only natural response. It sounds like the theater staff had at least a minimal plan, which is good!, but also who knows how much information they actually had at that point.
posted by fencerjimmy at 11:11 PM on March 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
It’s also a terrible context to deal with: most people in a movie theater will probably have never had any kind of active shooter training, so panic is the only natural response. It sounds like the theater staff had at least a minimal plan, which is good!, but also who knows how much information they actually had at that point.
posted by fencerjimmy at 11:11 PM on March 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
Do you know for sure if the parent was reacting to overhearing rumors or could they possibly have heard the shots themselves?
posted by OnefortheLast at 11:40 PM on March 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by OnefortheLast at 11:40 PM on March 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
I think shouting like that in those circumstances is both stupid and culpable.
posted by Segundus at 1:00 AM on March 11, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by Segundus at 1:00 AM on March 11, 2018 [12 favorites]
I think it's in the category of stuff that happens. This was an experience that caused you to have strong emotions and the emotions have to go somewhere and being angry at the father is an outlet. I'd be imagining myself in his place - what would have been a better course of action for him, or for you had you been in his place? It's very difficult to say. What good first responder agencies do is debrief an incident like this and try to come up with lessons learned - perhaps your locality can do this in a more public way?
posted by Gnella at 3:22 AM on March 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Gnella at 3:22 AM on March 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I'd be imagining myself in his place - what would have been a better course of action for him, or for you had you been in his place?
To ask an employee if there's a plan to evacuate in an orderly fashion, lock down the building, or otherwise deal with it. This is not rocket science.
This is not an okay/understandable thing. The idea that a functional adult hasn't heard that it's a very bad idea to panic a crowded room is risible, and note that everyone else seems to have been able to get through it without causing a panic that didn't injure or kill people only by dumb luck.
This person was a dangerous idiot.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:32 AM on March 11, 2018 [43 favorites]
To ask an employee if there's a plan to evacuate in an orderly fashion, lock down the building, or otherwise deal with it. This is not rocket science.
This is not an okay/understandable thing. The idea that a functional adult hasn't heard that it's a very bad idea to panic a crowded room is risible, and note that everyone else seems to have been able to get through it without causing a panic that didn't injure or kill people only by dumb luck.
This person was a dangerous idiot.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:32 AM on March 11, 2018 [43 favorites]
The movie theater evidently sent employees into each showing to turn on the lights, explain what was happening, and have everyone remain seated.
A parent in my showing happened to be in the lobby getting snacks while this news was first spreading, though, and took it upon himself to run back into my showing and start yelling "active shooter".
These two parts together are what make it wrong and stupid. Places like theaters now have processes for these things, even if such processes aren't super useful in the event of a shooter actually in proximity--they are, more than anything, useful when an actual shooter isn't. Panic is incredibly dangerous. Just--incredibly. There is a reason that "yelling fire in a crowded theater" is such a well-known example of a thing free speech does not allow you to do. Everybody knows this!
The fact that doing this caused a faster response is not helpful if the faster response is not informed by things like where the shooter actually is. If the shooter was in the lobby and this person managed to get back into the theater--even then I'm not 100% sure if just shouting "active shooter" would be a great plan, but I think you'd be able to make the argument. If this person didn't know or knew but did not attempt to communicate any detail about the shooter's location when shouting this, then the fact that they got people to scatter faster is not helpful. It's not just that they scared people, it's that they potentially sent people running in the direction of danger instead of away.
posted by Sequence at 5:44 AM on March 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
A parent in my showing happened to be in the lobby getting snacks while this news was first spreading, though, and took it upon himself to run back into my showing and start yelling "active shooter".
These two parts together are what make it wrong and stupid. Places like theaters now have processes for these things, even if such processes aren't super useful in the event of a shooter actually in proximity--they are, more than anything, useful when an actual shooter isn't. Panic is incredibly dangerous. Just--incredibly. There is a reason that "yelling fire in a crowded theater" is such a well-known example of a thing free speech does not allow you to do. Everybody knows this!
The fact that doing this caused a faster response is not helpful if the faster response is not informed by things like where the shooter actually is. If the shooter was in the lobby and this person managed to get back into the theater--even then I'm not 100% sure if just shouting "active shooter" would be a great plan, but I think you'd be able to make the argument. If this person didn't know or knew but did not attempt to communicate any detail about the shooter's location when shouting this, then the fact that they got people to scatter faster is not helpful. It's not just that they scared people, it's that they potentially sent people running in the direction of danger instead of away.
posted by Sequence at 5:44 AM on March 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
I think a big part of the problem is that active shooter situations are not like something like fires. We can see the fire, we can call the fire department and know they will come to put it out and help people. There's no equivalent to an active shooter situation.
It's an upsetting experience but I don't think it's fair to say the person who yelled did anything wrong. There are a few things going on all at once right now:
1. We've become a country where active shooter situations are being more common.
2. We don't have a commonly understood strategy of dealing with these, and I don't know if there is any real way people CAN deal.
3. What we do know is that these situations can unfold terrifyingly quickly. Getting to a safer place quickly in the middle of chaos is critical.
4. We do know that in recent shootings, the authorities did not help, so telling someone in charge does not feel like a good enough response.
So if a person is informed gunshots are being fired nearby, who knows what the correct response is? Do we yell? Run? Run where?
Unfortunately, I don't think that we, as a people, have a unified response to active shooter situations.
I wish I had a good answer for this. I also wish this wasn't a scenario we have to think about. But I think if a person knows shots were fired nearby, the best thing they can do is to alert people. Like fire drills and other alerts, families need to have a discussion about what they will do if they hear an active shooter alert and plan as best they can.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 6:25 AM on March 11, 2018 [10 favorites]
It's an upsetting experience but I don't think it's fair to say the person who yelled did anything wrong. There are a few things going on all at once right now:
1. We've become a country where active shooter situations are being more common.
2. We don't have a commonly understood strategy of dealing with these, and I don't know if there is any real way people CAN deal.
3. What we do know is that these situations can unfold terrifyingly quickly. Getting to a safer place quickly in the middle of chaos is critical.
4. We do know that in recent shootings, the authorities did not help, so telling someone in charge does not feel like a good enough response.
So if a person is informed gunshots are being fired nearby, who knows what the correct response is? Do we yell? Run? Run where?
Unfortunately, I don't think that we, as a people, have a unified response to active shooter situations.
I wish I had a good answer for this. I also wish this wasn't a scenario we have to think about. But I think if a person knows shots were fired nearby, the best thing they can do is to alert people. Like fire drills and other alerts, families need to have a discussion about what they will do if they hear an active shooter alert and plan as best they can.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 6:25 AM on March 11, 2018 [10 favorites]
Note: there wasn't, after all, an active shooter; a security guard fired a few shots at an attempted robbery
This is absolutely terrifying, that a fucking security guard plays judge, jury and executioner in a space crowded with children. I don’t think there is a Right Way to react in that situation so the crier’s actions were within the realm of normal.
posted by pintapicasso at 6:33 AM on March 11, 2018 [7 favorites]
This is absolutely terrifying, that a fucking security guard plays judge, jury and executioner in a space crowded with children. I don’t think there is a Right Way to react in that situation so the crier’s actions were within the realm of normal.
posted by pintapicasso at 6:33 AM on March 11, 2018 [7 favorites]
Yeah, he made a mistake. But so did the people who ran without knowing more. In situations like this, people panic and do the wrong thing. Knowing no more than I do now, if I were going to point fingers, it would be at the mall security guard. You don’t say that the robbers fired shots, so WTF? That’s someone presumably trained in when it’s appropriate to use a gun in a crowded mall. I’m not trained, but my guess is almost never.
posted by FencingGal at 6:37 AM on March 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by FencingGal at 6:37 AM on March 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
Assuming this is the situation in question, the robbers were armed with only hammers. So yeah, security guard.
posted by FencingGal at 6:41 AM on March 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by FencingGal at 6:41 AM on March 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
I don't think it's fair to say the person who yelled did anything wrong.
No, no, no. Panicking a crowded room with few exits is wrong. Not just dumb but dumb and actively immoral. It's absolutely only good luck that children weren't trampled to death as a result of this.
If you aren't damn near certain that there were actually gunshots, where the gunshots were coming from, and where the exits both from the room and the structure are, and aren't damn near certain that you can calmly help people evacuate in the correct direction without starting a panic, just run away yourself (or even better, walk calmly away yourself) so you don't get several people hurt or killed by acting foolishly and negligently.
Especially when it turns out that you were alarmed by the much-more-likely truck backfiring or someone using a blank-firing fastener, or by someone telling you that one of those things that you didn't even hear yourself was gunfire.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 7:05 AM on March 11, 2018 [10 favorites]
No, no, no. Panicking a crowded room with few exits is wrong. Not just dumb but dumb and actively immoral. It's absolutely only good luck that children weren't trampled to death as a result of this.
If you aren't damn near certain that there were actually gunshots, where the gunshots were coming from, and where the exits both from the room and the structure are, and aren't damn near certain that you can calmly help people evacuate in the correct direction without starting a panic, just run away yourself (or even better, walk calmly away yourself) so you don't get several people hurt or killed by acting foolishly and negligently.
Especially when it turns out that you were alarmed by the much-more-likely truck backfiring or someone using a blank-firing fastener, or by someone telling you that one of those things that you didn't even hear yourself was gunfire.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 7:05 AM on March 11, 2018 [10 favorites]
just run away yourself (or even better, walk calmly away yourself)
I have to imagine that if I *did* take that course of action and then it turned out that a shooter killed a bunch of people in the theater I'd failed to warn, I would have a very hard time living with that.
OP, I think if it helps you process the trauma of the experience to be mad at the guy who yelled "active shooter," then that's perfectly alright. You are entitled to that feeling. In this case he fucked up and made the situation a lot more stressful and horrifying than it needed to be. He made a bad call.
But at the same time I'm not sure there are any good calls when we're all living with the terror of active shooters. Like, the circumstances are straight-up fucked, we're all scared and anxious and easily panicked.
Something else I thought: given recent reports of people in mass shootings who had close family members who'd also experienced mass shootings, this person's actions might have been motivated by a very personal form of PTSD. We don't know his back story but it's not totally out of the realm of possibility that he had already been traumatized in the past by a near miss himself.
posted by the turtle's teeth at 7:19 AM on March 11, 2018 [13 favorites]
I have to imagine that if I *did* take that course of action and then it turned out that a shooter killed a bunch of people in the theater I'd failed to warn, I would have a very hard time living with that.
OP, I think if it helps you process the trauma of the experience to be mad at the guy who yelled "active shooter," then that's perfectly alright. You are entitled to that feeling. In this case he fucked up and made the situation a lot more stressful and horrifying than it needed to be. He made a bad call.
But at the same time I'm not sure there are any good calls when we're all living with the terror of active shooters. Like, the circumstances are straight-up fucked, we're all scared and anxious and easily panicked.
Something else I thought: given recent reports of people in mass shootings who had close family members who'd also experienced mass shootings, this person's actions might have been motivated by a very personal form of PTSD. We don't know his back story but it's not totally out of the realm of possibility that he had already been traumatized in the past by a near miss himself.
posted by the turtle's teeth at 7:19 AM on March 11, 2018 [13 favorites]
Walking into a dark movie theater and yelling "Active shooter!" seems like exactly the kind of thing an active shooter would do, so while I sympathize with the impulse, I guess, I'm on the side of declaring this really stupid.
posted by baseballpajamas at 7:19 AM on March 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by baseballpajamas at 7:19 AM on March 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
I don't know how you are feeling now, but I wanted to offer up that if you have not considered channeling this energy towards gun regulation reform locally or nationally - do that. Write some letters, make phone calls, attend a protest. Donate money to an org like here or especially here.
The answer to your question is YES being in this situation makes you feel angry. Yes. Use that anger to help effect change. Statistics and studies prove gun violence goes waaaaay down with better gun laws. Help make those laws happen.
posted by jbenben at 9:14 AM on March 11, 2018 [11 favorites]
The answer to your question is YES being in this situation makes you feel angry. Yes. Use that anger to help effect change. Statistics and studies prove gun violence goes waaaaay down with better gun laws. Help make those laws happen.
posted by jbenben at 9:14 AM on March 11, 2018 [11 favorites]
Yeah, this falls under stupid. I'd be mad too.
I agree with jbeben - Every town for Gun Safety is a great group to get involved with.
posted by Toddles at 10:04 AM on March 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
I agree with jbeben - Every town for Gun Safety is a great group to get involved with.
posted by Toddles at 10:04 AM on March 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
I think what the person did is legal because they did not have bad intentions, but incredibly stupid and dangerous. At my work (teacher), we have to have frequent active shooter drills. Everything is about minimizing panic and staying put (unless you are in the room with the shooter). Sending a bunch of people who were in a room that COULD HAVE BEEN LOCKED into a tight corridor is the opposite of what to do.
Should you ever become aware of a shooter in an indoor public space - tell an employee. They probably have a protocol. If they do not, the best defense is to lock whatever door you can and crouch out of sight and away from doors and windows.
posted by thelastpolarbear at 10:31 AM on March 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
Should you ever become aware of a shooter in an indoor public space - tell an employee. They probably have a protocol. If they do not, the best defense is to lock whatever door you can and crouch out of sight and away from doors and windows.
posted by thelastpolarbear at 10:31 AM on March 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
And also, the security guard had better face a grand jury and the place that employs him should have to deal with a lawsuit. Firing a gun at hammer-bearing robbers is unacceptable.
posted by thelastpolarbear at 10:33 AM on March 11, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by thelastpolarbear at 10:33 AM on March 11, 2018 [12 favorites]
I’m with you— this person’s reaction is exactly why we rely on trained people to direct emergency situations. Crowd panic itself can be deadly, just as deadly as a shooter.
I don’t blame him for FEELING panic, or not knowing what to do (what a time we live in.) But as an adult with essential information, if he was taking it upon himself to share it, he should have been more responsible in how it was shared.
So if I were you, processing this awful day, I think I’d find myself thinking unkindly about him (hysterical hotheaded busybody, stupid wannabe hero could have gotten us killed) BUT that’s not going to help you. After the initial surge of anger, I think I’d have to make myself see him in more empathetic light just for my own peace of mind. Perhaps see him as a desperate father, a selfless person who genuinely thought he was saving lives, or someone who was panicking in an unpredictable situation due to trauma or something. Someone doing their best to help others, basically. Since I didn’t hear what he heard, maybe he did ask for full details, maybe he did ask for assistance or directions, but nobody was responding to him.
But no, this was not the Right way to respond to that situation— but we can kinda only know that in hindsight. It’s not hard to imagine a situation where immediately scattering would save lives even thought it’s not generally advised.
Good luck as you deal with this. What a world.
posted by kapers at 10:37 AM on March 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
I don’t blame him for FEELING panic, or not knowing what to do (what a time we live in.) But as an adult with essential information, if he was taking it upon himself to share it, he should have been more responsible in how it was shared.
So if I were you, processing this awful day, I think I’d find myself thinking unkindly about him (hysterical hotheaded busybody, stupid wannabe hero could have gotten us killed) BUT that’s not going to help you. After the initial surge of anger, I think I’d have to make myself see him in more empathetic light just for my own peace of mind. Perhaps see him as a desperate father, a selfless person who genuinely thought he was saving lives, or someone who was panicking in an unpredictable situation due to trauma or something. Someone doing their best to help others, basically. Since I didn’t hear what he heard, maybe he did ask for full details, maybe he did ask for assistance or directions, but nobody was responding to him.
But no, this was not the Right way to respond to that situation— but we can kinda only know that in hindsight. It’s not hard to imagine a situation where immediately scattering would save lives even thought it’s not generally advised.
Good luck as you deal with this. What a world.
posted by kapers at 10:37 AM on March 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
kapers has it. If anything, I'd say the biggest party at fault is the movie theater, for not having more control of the situation; someone should have absolutely stopped that guy from running in a panic like a town crier. But this "fault" is still kind of slim, since the staff at the theater are most likely mostly teenagers themselves and they probably are just as panicked as everyone else.
But yes, you're absolutely absolved in feeling like the guy who panicked did more harm than good.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:49 PM on March 11, 2018
But yes, you're absolutely absolved in feeling like the guy who panicked did more harm than good.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:49 PM on March 11, 2018
Best answer: I would have been furious at the person who ran in shouting. Causing a panic like that is not helpful. Sending people running out of the theater might have resulted in people running right into the line of fire. Or caused people to get knocked down and trampled on. Not to mention scaring the daylights out of the kids who got separated from their parents, etc. The employees did the right thing by telling people to stay in the theater and remain calm.
I'm also side-eyeing the security guard who fired the shots pretty hard, too.
posted by sarcasticah at 1:04 PM on March 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
I'm also side-eyeing the security guard who fired the shots pretty hard, too.
posted by sarcasticah at 1:04 PM on March 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
Best answer: My son and I were almost there at that theater yesterday to see a wrinkle in time. This whole time I thought you were talking about Michigan or someplace.
Here is the contact info for the parent company that operates the Glendale Galleria. Join me in contacting them to find out why their mall security is armed, and especially why they are armed and so poorly trained.
There is literally nothing for sale at any mall that is worth a human life. I'll be calling and writing on Monday. Thank you for posting this question. I'm sorry you went through this.
posted by jbenben at 1:39 PM on March 11, 2018 [12 favorites]
Here is the contact info for the parent company that operates the Glendale Galleria. Join me in contacting them to find out why their mall security is armed, and especially why they are armed and so poorly trained.
There is literally nothing for sale at any mall that is worth a human life. I'll be calling and writing on Monday. Thank you for posting this question. I'm sorry you went through this.
posted by jbenben at 1:39 PM on March 11, 2018 [12 favorites]
you're right, anyone who thinks that it was defensible for a guy to run into a theater screaming "active shooter" when the shooting was across the street and the obvious safety mechanism (locking the door) was already in place, is dead wrong. I'm so sorry you had to go through this.
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:57 PM on March 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:57 PM on March 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
People make bad decisions when panicked. This is not controversial.
So can understand why the guy panicked, and why he made a bad decision? Yes. But we can also hope for better, we can learn from our mistakes and those of others. Can we expect better? I think so.
posted by adamrice at 4:35 PM on March 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
So can understand why the guy panicked, and why he made a bad decision? Yes. But we can also hope for better, we can learn from our mistakes and those of others. Can we expect better? I think so.
posted by adamrice at 4:35 PM on March 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
The action is wrong, I think pretty clearly. The person made a mistake. But I do think anger towards the first parent who panicked has to be weighed against how you're judging how people responded to it. If I'm picturing the incident correctly a lot of the problem was in the response (mayhem, leaving the theater, running around for cover, etc.) which was due to panic spreading, not because first parent was directing people?
The first parent is obviously the easiest thing to imagine changing in the sequence of events, but in terms of judgment or criticism seems harsh to go only on them and treat everyone else's panic as inevitable. One or two people saying wait, calm down, might have helped a lot--and probably a couple people there will have learned from this and do that next time.
posted by mark k at 7:13 PM on March 11, 2018
The first parent is obviously the easiest thing to imagine changing in the sequence of events, but in terms of judgment or criticism seems harsh to go only on them and treat everyone else's panic as inevitable. One or two people saying wait, calm down, might have helped a lot--and probably a couple people there will have learned from this and do that next time.
posted by mark k at 7:13 PM on March 11, 2018
He overheard rumors of a shooting that happened across the street and decided to run into a film full of little kids to scream "Active Shooter?" Yes, that is beyond stupid. And I get that people panic but he was not in immediate danger, he was panicking in response to something he overheard. It's really, really irresponsible behavior.
posted by Polychrome at 2:13 AM on March 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Polychrome at 2:13 AM on March 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
I also don't believe for a moment he was "panicked." He sounds like he was excited and wanted to be the guy who got to yell it out first.
posted by fingersandtoes at 6:54 AM on March 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by fingersandtoes at 6:54 AM on March 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
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To your question- there is no good answer because we should not being dealing with this generally, it's new, so who can say?
FWIW - I would have likely done same. I hate to admit that. If something I overheard gave me the idea I should warn everyone, I would do that.
Based on what he potentially overheard he may have overreacted, but we don't know what he heard the staff say.
posted by jbenben at 9:28 PM on March 10, 2018 [8 favorites]