King County Sheriff blunt on active shooters

SEATTLE — Fourteen dead, 21 wounded -- the San Bernardino massacre sends a message that people anywhere can be vulnerable to active shooters on a mission to kill.
 
On Wednesday, council members representing King County and its cities asked to hear from county Sheriff John Urquhart. He was blunt with the bad news. 
 
" (The) bad news is, from a police standpoint, there is really nothing we can do, especially the local police, nothing we can do stop these horrors," Urquhart said.
 
While the Islamic State group terrorists inspired the San Bernardino attack, the sheriff said that's not the only problem.
 
"Until ISIS in contained, maybe eliminated, until we can keep guns, perhaps even more importantly until we can keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, we are going to continue to have these situations," the sheriff said.
 
Urquhart said local law enforcement has been training to quickly confront active shooters -- in order to stop them before they kill even more people.
 
But he said local work places should also practice dealing with an active shooter.
 
"That active shooter is there  kill people, to kill people and you've got to protect yourself because we're not going to be there in time," he said.
 
Run, hide, fight.  

Urquhart believes companies should be training everyone to survive an active shooter situation. 
 
However, asked if he would require it by law, he said no.

"I trust the public, I trust business owners, I trust government leaders to make that decision on their own without being mandated by the government."
 
Urquhart told us his office will do what it can within reason to help companies that want to conduct active shooter training.

KIRO