I’m seeing a real shift in how Americans are approaching personal and community safety, and frankly, it’s one of the most positive developments I’ve witnessed in my years of training civilians, and security teams.
Just in the past few days, we’ve had two high-profile incidents where potential mass-casualty attacks were stopped dead in their tracks not by waiting for police to arrive, but by people on the scene who took decisive action.
First, at Old Dominion University in Virginia on March 12, 2026, a gunman with prior ties to supporting ISIS entered a classroom, specifically an ROTC class, and opened fire. He killed a professor (a retired decorated Army officer) and wounded two others, including students. But the threat ended right there because brave ROTC students confronted him directly. One of them used a knife to fatally stop the shooter, terminating the attack before it could escalate into something far worse. Officials, including the FBI Director, credited these students with saving lives through their quick, courageous response.
Around the same time, on March 12 in West Bloomfield, Michigan, at Temple Israel synagogue, a man rammed a vehicle loaded with chemicals, a rifle, fireworks, and other materials straight into the building, bypassing bollards and starting a major fire. Security personnel on site engaged immediately, opening fire and killing the attacker. This happened before police could even arrive on scene. About 140 children from the early childhood center evacuated safely, and while one security officer was injured by the vehicle and first responders dealt with smoke inhalation, no congregants, students, or staff were killed. The synagogue’s recent active shooter and security training paid off big time. The teachers and security team knew exactly what to do.
These aren’t isolated flukes. They’re examples of a broader cultural change that’s been building for years, and it’s accelerating now.
From Passive Waiting to Proactive Self-Defense
For too long, the default mindset has been dependence: call 911, hide, wait for the professionals. While police do heroic work every day, the reality is that in active threat situations (whether shootings, vehicle ramming, or edged-weapon attacks) the first minutes are critical. Average police response times, even in well-policed areas, often run 5-10 minutes or longer. In those minutes, lives are lost if no one intervenes.
What we’re seeing instead is a move toward self-reliance and immediate action:
- Armed civilians stepping up to stop the shooting.
- Unarmed but determined individuals (like those ROTC students) using whatever means available to stop the killer.
- Trained security teams at houses of worship, schools, businesses, and events acting as the real first responders.
Civilian active shooter response isn’t vigilantism; it’s responsible citizenship. People are getting trained, through defense and security courses like the ones we run at Practical Defense Systems, learning situational awareness, de-escalation when possible, and decisive force when necessary. They’re carrying tools (firearms, knives, less lethal, or improvised weapons), and refusing to be helpless victims.
Why This Shift Is Profoundly Positive
Here’s why I see this as profoundly positive: Active shooters and terrorists seek soft targets (places with easy victims) where resistance is minimal and body counts can climb quickly. When attackers are stopped in seconds by on-site responders, rather than racking up dozens of casualties before police arrive, the calculus changes. These attacks become less appealing, less likely to succeed, and we hope, less frequent. Deterrence through readiness and a willingness to act works.
We’re not replacing law enforcement; we’re complementing them. The police still investigate, secure the scene, and handle the aftermath. But the paradigm is shifting from passive waiting to proactive defense.
Government Barriers: Policies That Hinder Self-Reliance
Unfortunately, not everyone in authority is embracing this empowering shift. Many government entities and institutions continue to impose restrictions and barriers that actively prevent citizens from protecting themselves and others, often in the very places where threats are most likely to emerge.
Take college campuses, for example. Despite the fact that responsible adults can legally carry firearms in public spaces across much of the country, most universities, including public ones in states like Virginia, maintain strict “gun-free zone” policies that prohibit students, faculty, and staff from carrying for personal defense. These rules turn campuses into declared soft targets, disarming the very people who could respond immediately, as we saw with the ROTC students at Old Dominion who had to rely on a knife rather than a firearm they might otherwise carry off-campus.
Closer to home here in California, the state has gone even further in over-regulating volunteer church security teams. Recent laws like Senate Bill 1454 (effective January 1, 2025) eliminated long-standing exemptions for nonprofits and houses of worship, requiring volunteer security personnel (especially if armed) to obtain Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) licenses, firearms permits, and often oversight by a licensed Private Patrol Operator (PPO). The costs, paperwork, insurance requirements, and liability risks make it financially and logistically impossible for many smaller congregations to maintain effective armed or even semi-professional teams. What was once a community-driven, volunteer-based defense has been bureaucratized to the point of discouragement, leaving houses of worship more vulnerable despite the clear evidence that trained on-site responders save lives.
These policies don’t enhance safety; they undermine it by prioritizing control over capability. They force reliance on distant police response while criminalizing or complicating the very self-reliance that’s proving so effective elsewhere. True security comes from empowering prepared citizens not from layering more red tape that benefits bureaucrats more than believers, students, or families.
If you’re reading this on the PDS website, you already get it, or you’re curious enough to learn more. Whether you’re considering concealed carry, active threat response training, or just building better awareness, the time to prepare is now, not after the next headline.
The era of depending solely on someone else to save you and your loved ones has passed. In its place is a culture of capable, trained, self-reliant Americans who protect themselves, their families, and their communities. My suggestion? Get trained, get armed, and be part of the solution. We can help.
