This past week I was a guest on another Survival Dispatch show, and we spoke about self-defense strategies when in public places with family. We discussed keeping eyes on children when in crowds, staying alert despite the distraction posed by children, and a variety of other topics, with a particular focus on mass violence.
At one point, the host asked me to speak to a comment he received regarding “telling friend from foe.” I was not expecting this question, and it turned out being a great topic to discuss. I pointed to the fact that, consistently, mass killers display tell-tale body language prior to kicking off the attack. This is seen on many surveillance videos. Often, mass killer attacks start with a murderer bursting through the door, and if that happens, it is quite obvious who the bad guy is.
However, such attacks often see a preceding interlude where the perpetrator is in the vicinity, but not yet in action. Usually, the nervous behavior is very obvious. As I mentioned in the show, look for nervous glancing around, grooming, sweating, and a variety of other behaviors. During the attack you will also be able to tell the difference between the killer and other possible friendlies, such as other concealed carriers. A fellow concealed carrier may be staying behind cover, looking around for the source of the gunfire. Not the guy. The killer will be roaming with gun high and eyes low, looking for victims hiding under and behind structures.
It is sad that we need to consider such things, but that is the plight of mankind.
To see the specific discussion on this body language, skip to time 1:01:40
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