SAN ANTONIO – In this day and age of mass shootings, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office wants the community to be ready for such a scenario.
The Sheriff's Office partnered with the West San Antonio Chamber of Commerce to offer a free active shooter workshop Thursday for local business owners and their employees.
"People think, 'Oh, there's a shooter, I can do nothing, I'm going to die, I'm going to be a victim,'" said BCSO Assistant Chief Aristides Jimenez. "We don't want victims, we want survivors."
BCSO officials said the best way to survive an active shooter situation is to use the acronym ADD.
A: Avoid. Avoid the shooter or run away from the danger.
D: Deny. Deny the shooter access if you can't run from the threat.
D: Defend. It's the last resort, but defend yourself from the shooter.
Sheriff Javier Salazar said being prepared takes away the second weapon the shooter has -- the panic he or she creates.
"If they've got a whole room full of folks or a full building full of folks in a blind panic and just not knowing what to do, that's a killing field for them," Salazar said.
Anyone interested in attending a free workshop can sign up online.