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Say you are in the bank to make a deposit when two men wearing masks enter, both are armed but one starts shooting the ceiling and orders everyone to the ground. What is your plan? Wait and see, try to run out, pull your gun? I am just trying to measure different responses to what someone's "line in the sand" may be.

Seek cover while drawing weapon and then engage the threats in order of closest to me.

I am not a cop. So, unless I am sure they are gonna shoot me, I just hit the floor. They are usually done and out of there quick.

Not enough info to make a decision.

Does it look like I can ride it out and not be noticed?

Do I appear to be in immediate danger?

Do others appear to be in immediate danger?

Am I currently overdrawn at that bank?

Purplehood wrote:Am I currently overdrawn at that bank?

If I can do so without being noticed, I would likely draw and lay down over my hand/pistol and try to be a good witness. Then, if things head south and the situation becomes life or death and not a simple money grab, I can react quicker.

Ed4032 wrote:I am not a cop. So, unless I am sure they are gonna shoot me, I just hit the floor. They are usually done and out of there quick.

Bingo. Unless they start executing folks at random, I'm a good witness.

Ed4032 wrote:I am not a cop. So, unless I am sure they are gonna shoot me, I just hit the floor. They are usually done and out of there quick.

1. People don't usually rob banks, so if you find yourself in a robbery, statistics ("usually") are out the window.
2. Laying on the floor significantly decreases you ability to see, act and react. That's why they put you on the floor.
3. By the time you know they're going to shoot you, it may be too late to do anything.

Brian Mobley wrote:one starts shooting the ceiling and orders everyone to the ground. What is your plan?

If he's shooting, so am I.

threoh8 wrote:

Ed4032 wrote:I am not a cop. So, unless I am sure they are gonna shoot me, I just hit the floor. They are usually done and out of there quick.

1. People don't usually rob banks, so if you find yourself in a robbery, statistics ("usually") are out the window.
2. Laying on the floor significantly decreases you ability to see, act and react. That's why they put you on the floor.
3. By the time you know they're going to shoot you, it may be too late to do anything.

Consider also whether laying on the floor would expose your carry gun and how the BG's might react to that.

My thoughts are if the bad guys start shooting then I should:

A. Run, move, flee, get off of the X and so forth. I believe some kind of movement to cover is essential to survival.

B. If they are shooting then I would assume they are prepared to kill, therfore I would send up a prayer and engage.

I sometimes think about different scenerios and realize that so much can go wrong, there are to many variables, so many things out of our control.

Thanks for the responses.

Brian Mobley wrote:My thoughts are if the bad guys start shooting then I should:

A. Run, move, flee, get off of the X and so forth. I believe some kind of movement to cover is essential to survival.

B. If they are shooting then I would assume they are prepared to kill, therfore I would send up a prayer and engage.

I sometimes think about different scenerios and realize that so much can go wrong, there are to many variables, so many things out of our control.

Thanks for the responses.

Don't overlook a move to a fire exit, or hiding out in a rest room, unoccupied office, etc. If you're lucky to be near one of these, getting out of Dodge might well be a safer course of action than a shootout against multiple well armed BG's.

You might also want to consider what you're carrying. A Ruger LCP will not be any fun at all when used against BG's armed with shotguns or AK's.

If engaged, they may (and probably will) fire indiscriminately and will very likely hit someone.

Excaliber wrote:Don't overlook a move to a fire exit, or hiding out in a rest room, unoccupied office, etc. If you're lucky to be near one of these, getting out of Dodge might well be a safer course of action than a shootout against multiple well armed BG's.

Excellent point! Hit that door running!

Don't rule out a third unknown party that is there to observe the customers to see if there are any heroes. Just because they came in the front door and start to rob the place didn't mean that they didn't plant someone there prior or even have one of the bank employees in on the heist. Take over robberies are the most violent and many times have greater firepower. Don't take a pistol to a rifle fight.

ddurkof wrote:Don't rule out a third unknown party that is there to observe the customers to see if there are any heroes. Just because they came in the front door and start to rob the place didn't mean that they didn't plant someone there prior or even have one of the bank employees in on the heist. Take over robberies are the most violent and many times have greater firepower. Don't take a pistol to a rifle fight.

Another good point.

This is not at all unusual in takeover style robberies.

Even bad guys believe in having a Plan B.

Personally I was not placed on this planet to protect other peoples money, my first priority is to return home safely, being a dead or wounded hero is a last option. The bank will not be very friendly to you if you take any action and they will rapidly distance themselves from your actions. Typically shooting at the ceiling is meant to distract and instill fear in those around to efficiently get in and out with nobody trying to play hero. Like others I would try to find some sort of cover and have my handgun ready although hidden from plain view, if a person is shot then the scenario changes. The emotional stress that one will go through after a shooting is not worth the money that the robbers may escape with, let them go with it, being written up in the "Armed Citizen" is not very high on my priority list, matter of fact it is not even on the list........