LYNCHBURG, Va. – 10 News is looking into how you can protect yourself in dangerous situations after a shooting in a downtown Roanoke club over the weekend.
Three people are recovering from their injuries after the shooting at Status Restaurant and Lounge.
Officials said a shooting shouldn’t keep people away from downtown, but you may want to take safety precautions.
“In a club-type setting a lot of times you can’t see all the way across the room because it’s dark,” T4Tactics active shooter training instructor Marko Galbreath said. “There’s alcohol involved, which is liquid courage. It alters our ability to properly think.”
Galbreath said the first thing you should do when heading out is research.
“If you’re going to go to a certain location, google that address,” Galbreath said. “Look at their pictures. Is this a place that I want to be? Look at their Google reviews. Are there constant problems there?”
When you arrive at a spot, take note of your surroundings.
“They’ve got multiple exits,” Galbreath said. “We have to be aware of those before things go sideways.”
If you feel tension or see people arguing, it may be time to go.
“We want to put distance between ourselves and the shooter,” Galbreath said. “If we can’t get out, we want to get down. Low as we can under the table. We want to put ourselves in between cover. So cover and concealment. Concealment will hide you, cover will stop a bullet.”
Galbreath said always trust your instincts.
“I don’t want to teach fear or paranoia, just teach people situational awareness,” Galbreath said.