While it’s unlikely that you will ever need to hide from a murderer, it’s helpful to know what to do just in case. Whether you are at home or out in public, knowing how to find a good hiding spot can help save your life. Planning ahead can make your home even safer if a murderer ever does break in.
StepsPart 1Part 1 of 3:Hiding Effectively
1Choose a hiding place that can be barricaded. In order to prevent the murderer from finding you, barricade the main entry to your hiding area as best as you can. Ideally, there should be a sturdy lock on the inside of the door, and the door should open out so the murderer can’t kick it down. You may also want to barricade the door with additional obstacles, like heavy pieces of furniture.XIf your door swings in, it’s especially important to barricade it with heavy objects, as the murderer may be able to kick it in.While it’s good to be able to keep the murderer out, it’s also important to think about how you will escape if the murderer does manage to get in. A hiding spot with two exits (like a door and a window) is ideal.XIf you’re outside, you may not be able to barricade yourself, but you should still look for a secluded location that you will easily be able to escape from if necessary.
2Stay quiet. Once you find a hiding spot, you need to do whatever you can to make sure that the murderer does not locate you, which means staying as quiet as possible. If you are with other people, avoid talking to each other. You should also make sure your cell phone is silenced.XThe murderer may still be able to hear your phone if it is on vibrate!XResist the urge to yell to the murderer that you have contacted the police.
3Obscure your location. Make it more difficult for the murderer to see the area you are hiding in by turning off all of the lights and closing all of the windows and blinds. Make the area look as unoccupied as possible.XYou should also turn off any other sources of light, such as computer monitors.While calling for help should be your priority, beware of the light from your cell phone. If the murderer is right outside your door, he may be able to see it.
4Avoid huddling together. If you are hiding with other people, spread out as much as you can in your hiding spot. This will increase each individual’s chances of survival if the murderer gets into your hiding spot.XMake sure everyone stays away from windows, as these are often the most vulnerable part of the room.
5Hide in, behind, or under something. If you want a great hiding spot within your barricaded room, find a piece of furniture or a similar item that you can use to hide in. The less obvious the hiding spot, the better.You may want to hide behind the (floor-length) curtains, behind a desk, or behind the clothes in a closetYou could try hiding under the bed, under a pile of laundry, or under a blanket.You could also consider hiding inside a cupboard, in the washing machine, or inside a large box.If you are outside, you may want to hide behind a bush, under a car, in a trash can, or under a porch.
6Hide in plain sight if necessary. If you are not able to run away or find a place to hide, playing dead may be an option. This will only work if the murderer has already killed a lot of victims. Simply lie down among the victims and hope that the murderer doesn’t realize that they haven’t killed you.XLying face down or in an obscured location may help, as the murderer will not be able to see if you move a little bit.
7Call for help. As soon as it is safe to do so, call emergency services for help. If you have a cell phone with you, you might be able to do this while you are hiding, as long as you don’t think that making a call will give away your location to the murderer. Stay on the line with the operator until the police get there.XThe operator will want to know as many details about the situation as possible, such as your location, the number of victims, and what kinds of weapons the murderer has.When the police get there, follow their instructions and keep your hands visible at all times so that they know you are not a threat.If calling the police is too loud, text someone who is not at the location about your situation and ask them to call the police for you. Consider texting this to several people, just in case someone doesn’t see the text.In some areas, it’s also possible to text 9-1-1.Part 2Part 2 of 3:Using Other Survival Techniques
1Run if you can. If it’s possible to get out of the building or the immediate area that the murderer is in, this is always preferable to hiding. Assess your location and decide if you would be able to escape to safety.XIf others don’t want to run with you, leave them behind. You can’t let them prevent you from escaping.If you run, don’t worry about your belongings. Leave your stuff behind.Be sure to keep your hands visible as you flee the scene. If the police are there already, they may mistake you for the murderer.Run in an erratic pattern. This will make it harder for the murderer to shoot you if he comes after you.Try to put as many obstacles between you and the murderer as possible.
2Head for safety. If you choose to run, it’s important to head for a location that will be safer than the location you just left, just in case the murderer pursues you. While you may just want to get out of there, don’t leave without some kind of an idea of where you will go.If possible, get to a location where you can call for help. A secure location like a police station is the best option, but a neighbor’s house is better than nothing.Try to avoid running into your neighbor’s house if the murderer is watching you. You don’t want to put them in danger as well by leading a murderer into their house.If there is nothing around the area, head for the woods instead of a clearing. This will give you many more places to hide. A full parking lot will also provide lots of good hiding opportunities.
3Plan to fight if you must. In some cases, you may have no choice but to fight back against the murderer. This is generally not a good idea unless your life is in immediate danger, but if it comes to it, do what you need to do to survive.XIf you decide to fight, you need to commit to it. A half-hearted attempt at fighting back will only put you in more danger.Your goal should be to disarm and/or incapacitate the murderer, and then run away as fast as possible.XExpert SourceTsahi ShemeshSelf Defense TrainerExpert Interview. 17 September 2019.If you have a gun, you may want to use this to defend yourself. If not, you may also be able to incapacitate the murderer using pepper spray.XIf you have no other option but to attack the murderer with your bare hands, aim for the most vulnerable parts of the body: the throat, the eyes, the groin, and the stomach.X
4Use an improvised weapon. If you choose to fight back and you do not have a traditional weapon, look around for ordinary objects that you might be able to use to disarm the murderer or incapacitate them. A good weapon should be easy to use and should be reasonably likely to inflict harm.XYou can use a backpack as a shield or to swing at the murderer.You can use an item like a baseball bat, and umbrella, or a large flashlight as a swinging weapon.Any heavy item can be used to knock the murderer unconscious.a chemical fire extinguisher can effectively disable a person if you spray it in his face.X
5Cooperate if you are captured. If the murderer finds you and it is not possible to escape or fight back (If they have a gun and you only have a baseball bat, for example), it is important to know how to interact with them in order to increase your chances of survival. If the person’s primary objective is to steal things or commit another crime, they may not really want to kill you if it’s not necessary.XExpert SourceTsahi ShemeshSelf Defense TrainerExpert Interview. 17 September 2019.XBe as cooperative as you possibly can be. Do what the murderer asks you to do without asking questions.Avoid making eye contact, as this can be seen as threatening.Don’t make any sudden movements that the murderer might interpret as you trying to fight.Always be on the lookout for opportunities to run or incapacitate the murderer.Part 3Part 3 of 3:Planning Ahead
1Make your house secure. While there’s not much you can do as an individual to make public places safer, you can work to make your house more impenetrable to intruders. These measures can help prevent the need to ever have to hide from a murderer in your home.XMake sure your doors and your door jambs are made of sturdy steel.If you have glass inserts in or around any of your doors, make sure they cannot be broken.Keep windows closed and locked at night and when you are not in the room.Make sure your home is well-lit at night to deter intruders.
2Install an alarm system. Alarm systems can provide excellent security and peace of mind for people at home. They can automatically call for help if someone breaks into your home, and they often scare intruders off.XSome alarm systems have panic modes that you can use to make the intruder think you have turned the system off, but secretly contact the police.Ask the company that provides your monitoring services how you can alert them to dangers if there is an intruder in the home. In some cases, you may provide them with a panic word, and in others, simply providing the incorrect password will trigger a response.You may want to invest in security cameras as well.Whether you have an alarm system or not, put up stickers that say you do. This often deters criminals just as much as an actual alarm.
3Prepare a safe room in your home. It’s a good idea to have a designated safe room in your house and to make sure that the entire family knows that this is where you will hide in the case of an emergency.XThe safe room should have a sturdy door and a strong lock on the inside. You can have a special steel security door installed for extra protection.Make sure the room is somewhere that will be accessible to your family and far from the areas where an intruder is most likely to enter your home. A closet or bathroom near the bedrooms is a good choice.
4Keep important supplies in your safe room. In addition to designating a specific room in your house as your safe room and making sure that the area is secure, it’s also a good idea to stock the area with the supplies you will need in the event that a murderer does break into your house.XIt’s a good idea to charge your phone in this room every night so that you will always be able to call for help if you have to hide there.If you have weapons, you may want to keep these in the room as well. If you don’t have guns at your home, keep some improvised weapons in this location
