“After at least two explosions, gunmen who were waiting outside the mosque opened fire at worshipers as they fled Friday prayers,” cnn.com reports from Egypt. “The gunmen had set up ‘ambush’ locations and opened fire on ambulances as they were transporting wounded worshipers from al-Rawdah toward al-Arish before the arrival of security services.” Although we haven’t seen this style of terrorist attack here . . .
it’s only a matter of time.
Ambush attacks — where terrorist bombs/gunfire drive a crowd into a killing field (to “mop-up” survivors) — are terrorist SOP. Lest we forget, that was the Columbine killers’ original plan.
Again, there’s nothing original or innovative about this kind of attack. It’s the same technique that led to the extinction of the wooly mammoth in North America.
In fact, I’m surprised we haven’t seen this kind of one – two coordinated mass killing on American soil in the last decade or so.
What that means for you: do NOT think an attack is over after an initial assault. Do NOT run with a crowd of people towards an obvious exit without scanning for additional threats.
Consider an alternative route to safety. Move away from the crime scene after you escape.
Unless you can immediately engage your attacker, your only priority is getting out of the area of a terrorist attack. Anything else is just waiting to die.