Halloween is right around the corner. ‘Tis the season for scary houses and “haunted forests.” Have you ever thought about what you would do in one of these “haunted” houses or forests if real life gun play starts to occur? Consider the following scenario:
You are waiting in line to enter a “Haunted Forest”. The event is in a deeply wooded rural area without any police presence. A man steps out of line, draws a gun and begins shooting at everyone in the crowd as he makes a beeline for the ticket booth. He continues shooting randomly as he grabs the money and retreats to the parking area. Several people are wounded and screaming. There is minimal light and you can’t really see what is going on. What do you do?
This exact scenario occurred in South Carolina. Read about it at the following link: Teen pleads guilty in haunted trail shooting, killing at park.
I wish I could say that violence like this at Halloween attractions is an anomaly, but it isn’t. A quick internet search provided me with scores of links to similar violent acts.
A haunted house actor wanted to scare a child. Then he cut the boy with a knife
Boo! Actual Crimes Committed In Haunted House Attractions
Man accused of shooting haunted house performer thought gun was ‘prop,’ police say
Chaos and gunfire erupt at haunted house near Charlotte amid multiple fights
Man who murdered 29-year-old outside Erebus Haunted Attraction in 2020 sentenced
Shooting at Haunted Hills Hayride leaves teen dead, another injured
Georgia haunted house evacuated after someone opens fire on it
FBI takes over local haunted house shooting
Gunshots erupt as crowd of nearly 1,000 gathers at popular Rowan County haunted house
If you are considering attending an event like this, here are some questions to ask yourself:
1) Would you carry a gun to an event like this one where you are likely to be scared and jostled around by the actors in the forest? If you would carry, would you take additional precautions to secure your gun and ensure that it isn’t accidentally grabbed by one of the people trying to scare you?
Would you alter your normal carry position? Think about how someone might grab you in a scenario like this. They might grab your ankle from the brush or from a “grave.” They might grab your arm. The might grab you around the waist from behind. I think appendix carry or a shoulder holster provides the highest level of natural protection against these kind of grabs.
2) Do you always carry a flashlight with you? Without a light, you are hosed in a situation like this. Can you shoot with a flashlight? I mean really shoot…with lots of innocent people in between you and the killer in pitch dark conditions. It’s harder than you think…
Even more importantly, do you know how to “go dark” and disappear in a situation like this. If the killer can’t see you he can’t shoot you. If you aren’t actively engaging the target, the light is a hindrance in this scenario.
What about your spouse and/or kids? Do you think it would be valuable to issue them flashlights for an event like this? Do they know when and when not to use the light? If your kids are old enough to run away, but too young to understand the consequences of their actions, you might attach some type of glow stick to their clothing so that you can better track them in the dark.
Kids really like the glow sticks that can be configured as necklaces or bracelets. Put a few on your little ones. They will have more fun and you can better track them in the darkness.
Fun for the kids. Useful for the parents.
3) What is your plan should you be separated from your family/friends during the shooting? Do you have a pre-established meeting place? Cell coverage may not be great in some of the rural areas where these events take place.
4) In a situation like this when you are potentially ½ mile or more from your car and 30 minutes or more from an emergency medical response, do you have any medical supplies on your person to handle traumatic injuries? Having a med kit in your car won’t help when the shooter is firing at you in the forest. Do you have the supplies needed to immediately stop life-threatening bleeding? Do you have the capability of carrying a wounded victim (maybe even one of your family members) out of the forest to help? If you can’t physically carry or drag a casualty and you don’t have any medical gear, what is your plan if someone gets shot?
5) Are you prepared to handle less-lethal threats? Think about the environment for these events. They happen in the dark. Some level of physical touch between the role players and the guests may be assumed. People working these events don’t go through an in-depth background check.
Those factors make it an ideal playground for perverts, gropers, and pedophiles. Read the Boo! Actual Crimes Committed In Haunted House Attractions article for more examples of criminals attempting to use the cover of darkness to facilitate their crimes. Carrying and being able to effectively use a small can of pepper spray would be a very good response option for these lower level groping attacks.
Useful survival gear for the haunted forest
6) Be aware that you may have to undergo some type of “security” screening. Increasingly, events like these are requiring participants to consent to a pat down search or wanding with a metal detector before entry. Would knowing this change how you carry your tools and what you might take with you?
Read my article in Deep Concealment Options for Non-Permissive Environments for a few techniques to better navigate the event security screening.
A walk through a haunted forest doesn’t have to look like a military combat patrol, but you may need more (or different) supplies than you normally carry to be prepared for every potential problem.
Your homework assignment is to think about scenarios like this. Identify any situations where you might need more or different gear based on the character of the threats you face. Then figure out a plan to deal with any potential problems you may encounter when visiting that location.
