Expert Weighs In On Arlington Mall Shooting
ARLINGTON (CBS11) - A mall shooting in Arlington is prompting shoppers to wonder about security measures at shopping centers.
Allied Universal Security provides security for Arlington Parks Mall.
The company confirms there is an emergency plan in place.
Mall employees recently underwent an active shooter training. The mall also works closely with Arlington Police, who have an officer inside the shopping center.
Allied Universal Security says it can't disclose more information on the mall's security measures for fear it will compromise security.
Danny Coulson's security company works with clients like Cinemark to train its employees. He is not involved with Arlington Parks Mall in anyway, and adds that securing a mall can be very difficult.
"There's probably 50 entrances to the mall that we're standing in front of right now," said Coulson. "That creates huge problems."
The former FBI commander was the expert security witness for the Aurora movie theater shooting trial. Coulson says the first step to surviving a shooting is believing it's happening.
"(People) don't react and when theres a shooting," said Coulson. "It puts them in peril. First thing is to believe it's happening and when it's happening, move. Get out. Don't get on the ground, don't get down low. Just start moving."
Many cities like Fort Worth, offer free active shooter training classes to the public from time to time.
Coulson says it's a valuable resource to take advantage of since getting out alive often comes down to you.
