I was in the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting. Remember that one? On Jan. 6, an ex-military man with a history of mental illness killed five people and injured six more in baggage claim at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport.
Maybe you remember this attack because many of the victims were elderly. Maybe you were struck by images in the media of people sprinting across the runways of an international airport.
Maybe, you don’t remember this incident at all. There are so many attacks these days, I can’t blame you.
Here’s a brief summary of what happened to me that day:
I was traveling home from vacation with my family when shots were fired in baggage claim of our terminal. We were separated from the shooter by only a set of automatic glass doors.
When people started sprinting across the gate area screaming “Shooter!” I dove under the chairs across the aisle. I thought I was going to die at any second. This fear didn’t go away when we evacuated onto the tarmac and became stronger when, about an hour after the first attack, SWAT team members ordered us to run. They said there was another shooter. This happened three times. The day was like something out of a movie.
I spent three hours of my life thinking I would be shot at any second. I didn’t feel safe again until I arrived home, more than 24 hours later.
Over the next couple of weeks, I attended therapy to alleviate my stress, but I was traumatized. For days, I refused to go out in public, scared a shooting would break out at the grocery store. For months, I chose where to sit in class based on the chair’s proximity to the exit.
Now, nearly six months after Fort Lauderdale, life’s more normal. While I still suffer from horrifying nightmares and occasional anxiety, I’m far more comfortable in public.
Having shared some personal details of my life, I guess I should get to the point:
Terrorist attacks affect far more people than the reported casualties. Imagine all the other people affected: the other passengers in the gate area, those who were in baggage claim, the injured, and the friends and family of the victims. Likely, thousands were emotionally damaged by this event.
These types of attacks occur almost every day around the world.
How do we stop these attacks? Can we stop them? How can I help other survivors? These questions flood my brain every day.
We may not be able to definitively prevent these attacks, but we can change how we, as a society, handle them through four steps: education, planning, awareness and support.
The first step is education. Citizens should be informed about how to act in these situations. The protocol is to evacuate, hide and fight. In these situations, fighting is a last resort; only engage with a shooter if your life is in imminent danger. This protocol should be as heavily ingrained in our minds as stop, drop and roll.
The second step is planning. Institutions vulnerable to attacks must develop a protocol for evacuation in case of an event. This plan should be dynamic because each attack is different, and should designate an evacuation route, a securable citizen staging area and which employees have authority until police arrive.
Next is awareness. As a society, we must become more aware of and sensitive toward all survivors. It shouldn’t be acceptable to casually use the term post-traumatic stress disorder or to joke about guns. Be mindful of the people who surround you and the trauma they may have experienced.
Finally, we must learn to support. Survivors, do not be afraid to reach out to the people around you, even if you’re unsure what support you need. If a survivor reaches out to you, be understanding of the trauma he or she may have sustained. Offer comfort and help with finding the professional support needed. There is power in community.
These four simple steps can help our society become more prepared for attacks and more comfortable for survivors in their aftermath. This work must be completed on an individual level. Educate yourself and your children. Be aware of your surroundings and be kind to one another. Understand that survivors include more than just the injured.
Finally, as cliché as this may sound, be thankful for the life you live. No one ever expects anything so terrible to happen. I sure didn’t.
Sarah Lawton is a graduate of Animas High School and is a junior studying economics at Colorado College. She is the daughter of Rich and Sue Lawton of Durango. Reach her at sarahlawton3@gmail.com.
