Bethel Park police hold community meeting for information on surviving mass shootings

BETHEL PARK, Pa. — With the threat of mass shootings increasing, Bethel Park police are being proactive.

“It’s a topic that we wish we didn’t have to discuss,” said Bethel Park police chief Timothy O’Connor.

O’Connor held a community meeting Monday night on how to survive a mass shooting. He referenced a recent shooting in Pittsburgh where two teens are accused of opening fire outside a funeral in Brighton Heights that injured six people.

“The people recognized the gunshots, and then they started moving accordingly and ducking down and taking cover, which is exactly what you should do.”

The chief says it ties into the FBI’s “Run, Hide, Fight” training. He tells Channel 11 it teaches people that the first option should be to run. If you can’t do that, then you should hide and if all else fails, fight for your life.

“It’s good for people to realize they have some options and they don’t just panic, and they stand there and get shot,” one attendant said.

The issue is still top-of-mind for parents here and nationwide after the deadly Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas killed 19 kids and two teachers in May.

“It’s important because unfortunately if you look around the country in the last decade there has been a number of these incidents,” O’Connor said.

While the chief is hoping for the best, his department is preparing the citizens of Bethel Park for the worst, just in case.

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