Here's Why Ohio State Students Were Told to 'Run Hide Fight' During the Attack

Students at The Ohio State University were told to run, hide, and fight during Monday’s attack on campus:

Buckeye Alert: Active Shooter on campus. Run Hide Fight. Watts Hall. 19th and College.

— OSU Emergency Mngmnt (@OSU_EMFP) November 28, 2016

The attacker, a Somali student identified by authorities as Abdul Razak Ali Artan, was shot to death by a campus police officer after he rammed his car into a group of students and then stabbed several more after jumping out of his Honda. At least eleven people were injured in the attack, all of whom are expected to recover.

As it turns out, the instructions Ohio State students received are the current Department of Homeland Security protocols for an active shooter situation (which the school thought they were dealing with at first). The Ohio State University Department of Public Safety website instructs students to “run” and “hide” if possible during an attack. “Fighting is a last resort to be used only when your life is in imminent danger,” the site instructs students. They’re then told to “attempt to incapacitate the active shooter” and “find an object to use as a weapon such as a fire extinguisher or chair.”

(A gun is usually an effective weapon when faced with a threat, but students on college campuses are prohibited from carrying firearms.)

The Ohio State website has a video with further instructions for students:

Some students (and professors) weren’t clear on what the school’s protocols are:

https://twitter.com/hailstormhay/status/803454474924728320

And a few whiny liberals thought it would be better to have students suck their thumbs and squeeze play-doh or something:

It's so disturbing that we live in a world that now has a slogan… Run. Hide. Fight. No one should have too. #Ohio

— Shannen Doherty (@DohertyShannen) November 28, 2016

The fact that our country is having #runhidefight normalized is a testament to the strength of the NRA. Lesson is noted but never normal

— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) November 28, 2016

But for the most part, Ohio State’s “fight back” instructions received high praise:

#OhioStateUniversity has it exactly right.
If there is an attack,
1-Run if you can
2-Hide if you can't
3-Fight if you must
NEVER QUIT

— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) November 29, 2016

https://twitter.com/AdamBaldwin/status/803268408099753985

But Baldwin also pointed out that students on campus do not have the right to legally protect themselves with a firearm:

https://twitter.com/AdamBaldwin/status/803268408099753985

Next page: Department of Homeland Security’s current recommendations

In case you’re wondering exactly what you’re supposed to do during an active shooter situation, the Department of Homeland Security has a short explainer:

PJM’s Jeff Sanders also has a helpful guide: 3 Tactics to Help You Survive an Active Shooter Situation.

Even though students are not permitted to protect themselves with firearms, the university does deserve credit for following proper protocols and giving students a fighting chance.

https://twitter.com/MasonEverett15/status/803286203290136576