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Trust your instincts – A True Story

You Won’t Believe This…

Just heard a harrowing story from some close family members that I need to share. I’ve changed the names for the privacy of those involved in the incident. While enjoying a nice Easter Sunday barbecue with family, two relatives (we’ll call them Joe and Sarah) proceeded to tell me about a very scary encounter they had at a local shooting range a few days back.

This story gave me chills thinking about what might have happened if these two street savvy relatives hadn’t been there.

A Day At The Range

Their trip to the range started out normal. They showed up, picked an empty lane, put up a target—you know the drill. On this particular day, Sarah decided not to shoot (a life changing decision, although she didn’t know it yet). She normally enjoys shooting, but just wasn’t feeling too well and was just going to stand back and watch Joe shoot.

Being the observant and alert person she is, Sarah noticed something weird about the guy two lanes over. First off, after they’d been there 20 minutes (this other guys was there before them), he’d only fired 2 rounds. Very strange since he was standing right up at the bench and didn’t seam to be dealing with any sort of malfunction.

Sarah took notice of this and continued to watch Joe shoot, but her instincts told her to keep an eye on the other guy, something wasn’t quite right.

A few minutes later the guy picked his pistol up off the bench (this immediately grabbed Sarah’s attention). As he held the pistol he was visibly shaking. Sarah thought “Hmm… maybe he is disabled or something”. She certainly didn’t want to be rude or embarrass him by asking if everything was okay, but at this point she was on edge. She discretely brought it up to Joe and they both went to the range master.

After voicing their concern, the range master pointed out that he too had noticed the guy’s behavior as odd, but went on to say that “his shots are very on target” as if this somehow made up for all the odd behavior!!!

Shocked at this response, Joe and Sarah went back to their lane, still concerned, but wondering if they were just being paranoid. Paranoid or not, both Joe and Sarah kept a very close eye on the suspicious man 2 lanes down.

The Disturbing Behavior Worsens

Minutes later, after having not fired a single additional round, the suspicious individual (gun in hand) turned his head around to look at Sarah.

It was the kind of look someone gives when they know they are being watched. As his face came into full view, Sarah described him as looking right through her with cold piercing eyes. It gave her chills. This was too much. She could no longer explain away this guy’s suspicious behavior. Way too many red flags at this point.

As the guy turned back around, Sarah grabbed Joe and signaled to him that they needed to talk to the staff again immediately.

Once again confronted with a reluctant and not very pro-active staff, they explained that the staff needed to intervene and talk to this man immediately. This time the staff could tell from their tone and sense of urgency that something was clearly going on.

Joe and Sarah decided to keep a safe distance while the staff casually but cautiously approached the man and engaged him in a distracting conversation to assess any issues.

A Frightening Discovery

At this point one staff member was able to see an odd looking hand-written note on the shooter’s bench, while another staff member was talking with the man.

After a closer look, the note revealed a list of emergency contacts and an ominous line that changed the whole situation. The line read, “I’ve left a note at home explaining why I did this.”

The range staff finally realized what Sarah and Joe had picked up on. This guy was going through a suicidal crisis and was an extreme danger to himself and everyone around him.

The Resolution

Joe and Sarah were happy to say that from this point on, the staff’s actions were professional. The authorities were called and the man did not put up a fight, but most importantly – the situation ended with nobody getting hurt.

An event that could have ended with a traumatic suicide (no doubt leaving everyone at the range and the man’s family with some serious sh*t to work through), or worse, an active shooter or murder suicide, was averted by the observations and actions of two regular people.

Joe and Sarah aren’t former special ops soldiers and they aren’t psychologists or mental health professionals either. They are regular folks who were simply smart enough to pay attention to their surroundings and who weren’t afraid to act preemptively when they noticed something suspicious. Sarah especially listened to her gut.

She saved that man’s life and potentially the lives of several others that day all because she had the courage to listen to her gut instincts, even when it went against what others thought.

What I found most shocking in this encounter was the range staff’s willingness to rationalize suspicious behavior (something that is all-too-common in the imagined cocoon of safety many people live in).

A range master’s job is to keep everyone on the firing line and any others in the area safe. To see something that looks suspicious and explain it away is gross negligence when it’s your job to keep people safe.

Trust Your Gut!

Gut instincts exist for a reason. Have you ever had a gut instinct about something like this and been wrong? I know I haven’t.

When something bad is about to happen you almost always get that uneasy feeling. There is a lot of communication that goes on between the lines (body language, eye movements, and other non-verbal cues) that our subconscious mind is extremely good at identifying as “DANGEROUS.”

In polite society and the comfort of a relatively safe first world country (depending on where you live in the US), there is a strong tendency to explain away strange behavior. We’ve been trained to suppress our instincts by rationalizing strange things we notice. Sometimes this is good, but often it can be really bad. For example, it’s politically incorrect to cross to the other side of the street when you see a guy walking toward you who “looks a bit off“.

But having that uneasy feeling about an individual is almost always based on the body’s intuitive ability to pick up on non-verbal communication, signals the worrisome individual probably doesn’t even know he or she is sending. You may not even be able to describe what was worrisome. You just know that you’ve got an uneasy feeling.

You Aren’t Always Just Being Paranoid

Listening to those feelings is not paranoia, it’s street smarts. Ignore these feelings at your own peril.

Talk to people who’ve been mugged, attacked, beaten, robbed, raped, or kidnapped and I bet 9 out of 10 (if they weren’t taken completely by surprise) had some uneasy feeling right before the SHTF. It’s universal. I’ve certainly had that feeling before every dangerous situation I’ve been in.

Paying attention to those primal instincts is something you can’t afford to learn the hard way. In fact, tapping into those instincts is something you should actively cultivate.

Final Thoughts

I hope this story can be a reminder that gut instincts are there for a reason, and maybe someone out there reading this can avoid a dangerous situation because of it.

And I hope it also serves as a reminder that even in places where there are designated safety personnel, you can’t afford to totally let your guard down or ignore a gut feeling because “nobody else seems worried.” Our safety and the safety of those around us is our responsibility.

Let me know your thoughts…

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327 thoughts on “Trust your instincts – A True Story”

  1. Since 9/11 and in more recent years with all the threats and incidents with terrorist, plus the economic recession, job layoffs, years of unemployment, the divisive political and social atmosphere are the catalyst for strange violent destructive human behavior. This was a good story with a good ending for the people involved just because a person was vigilant and aware of her surroundings and willing and tenacious in carrying through with her gut feeling that something needed to happen to defuse the situation or at least calmly investigate the strange behavior. She also made the people in authority aware, not taking things in her own hands but was persistent in convincing the authorities they needed to investigate. We can all learn from this incident, stay alert observing our suroundings, listen to our gut feelings and don’t be fearful in speaking up to report to authorities suspicious actions/objects, be cautious and don’t intervene unless trained for the type of incident.

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  2. Absolutely! How often has my gut gone off & I ignore it & something GOOD happens….NEVER.
    Remain vigilant, alert, & safe. I don’t like politics, or politicians. Therefore being politically correct is so far down my list of “Need-Toos” we will never get glose enough to wave!
    Stay safe.

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  3. I am a surgeon, and quite often encounter situations during surgery where my “gut” tells me that “something’s not right” before I make a critical decision during an operation. This “feeling” is almost invariably correct.
    This skill translates directly to potentially asocial encounters on the street, and is a skill that one can train and enhance.
    Thanks for the story!

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  4. A good tip to pay attention to your instincts and act on them if necessary. It’s better to be safe than sorry. If you see something, say something!

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  5. This is an eye-opener. We have got to start listening to our instincts. We”ve got to start paying attention. So many crimes, including most of these mass shootings, could have been avoided if someone had a) Taken the time to acquire the skills and equipment they need to address dangerous scenarios. And b) Paid attention to their surrounding environment. That way, they could have done something to prevent these atrocities. My fellow Americans, our collective apathy must come to an end.

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  6. Thank you so much for this article. There have been times when I’ve tried to tell someone that a person was acting “strange” & I needed help. I was just told it was my imagination & that I was the one who needed help. Thank you again, for validating my gut instincts! You’ve been a wonderful inspiration.

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  7. It this day and time everyone should be pay attention to their surrounding where every we happen to be. I wish thing were like when I grew up, but those day’s are gone.

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  9. It is a good reminder to share your gut feelings and not keep them bottled up. Being politically correct has proven time and again to be very dangerous. You just might hurt someones feelings or more important you might save a life. Personally I would opted for the later. C.C. from California

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  10. I am trained in tactical emergency medical service T.E.M.S.
    We respond too and treat Law Enforcement Agency for gun shot injury.
    The instructor at the last class talked about suicides being committed at gun ranges.
    Guns are rented on site and used upon themselves.
    It requires any one so inclined need not own a weapon to kill themselves.
    How convenient.

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  11. Wow! God bless our gals for their sixth sense. The men need to pay attention and not brush off the ladies alarm. I have lost friends to suicide and if I could have done anything to help this trouble person not abruptly end their life I would have jumped at the chance. Suicide is a permanent solution to temporary problem. I am glad this troubled person got help before it was too late.

    If you go to the same range often get to know your range officers. The are good men who want everyone to be safe first. If they know you they are more likely to be attentive to special concerns that affect everyone’s safety. After you are part of what make the range safe or not!

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  12. As an elder today, I have not until now felt compelled to keep an ongoing keen eye on my every situational environmental setting and situation. I never went, or almost never went, with my wife to the neighborhood grocery here outside Atlanta…I do now. Everywhere I go, aside from most business activities, I am well armed and paying full attention to the total environment surrounding me.

    I feel sad that this is the world we now live in; however, as our Judeo-Christian moral and ethical foundation continues to wash away, we are left in a much different lifestyle and environment now. I think your friends did a proper job of situation analysis and reacted the way they should have as good citizens. Any more we all need to take a breath and make sure we are in perceived situation we can handle and properly function within. If not, get a move on and get out of there. Hopefully, the willingness to help and support our fellow man, especially with strangers, never gets totally stripped away from our behavior. I applaud your friends for hopefully helping a guy who was probably really hurting inside!!!

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  13. Such a good example – so many people just are not aware of their surroundings and have the feeling if they don’t pay attention they will be safe. That tunnel vision will most certainly be bad for your health.

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  14. He tried to get someone to notice him, which is the problem with most suicide attempts… No one cares enough to help them during their crises.
    Left alone, anger may have set in and then everyone is at risk of being shot. Lucky this time… Thanks for noticing.

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  16. This is more than common sense. This is of the utmost importance. If you live in a bubble, you may die there as well. We tend to try and rationalize our feelings or beat them into submission instead of accepting that like all of God’s creatures we have instincts for a reason!

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  17. This article is good common sense that should be the foundation of all aspects of being aware of your surroundings. This critical advise my one day save your or a loved one’s life !!

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  18. I really enjoy reading the valuable true short stories and viewing the self defense training videos. I hope to God I never have to encounter a bad life threatening situation, but I realize it is naive to to have a mind set ” it won’t happen to me”. Your website provides the learning tools and insights necessary to survive and come to the aid of others who are in distress. I have never met you, but my gut instincts tell’s me your a genuine good American. Thank you, sincerely William Bock

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  19. I used to teach would enjoy securitn.. mostly to ensure aware of what is happening around you. If somethingo feels funny, report! Then get out of the way.

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  22. Good comment about trusting your “gut instinct”. That’s a God given gift. I think women are more in tune with their instinct than men. After all, we’re smaller with less muscle mass on average, and have to be more vigilant. I’d strongly recommend the book “The Gift of Fear” by Gavin DeBecker as a must read for women as well as men. It speaks about honing your “gut instinct” and recognizing that fear is what focuses all your attention on the threat.

    Keep up the good work!

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  24. Good observational awareness and concern for others around us. Trust your God-given senses and do the right thing. Glad to hear this one turned out okay.

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  25. hi what you say is very true sad it is called the ostrich syndrome many suicides,murders etc could be avoided but the general public have ostrich syndrome dont want the responsibility to act on what they tey see reason it away or hoping someone else get involved and report.or act.it might be fear or it might be that they build a cocoon around themselves life is full of evil.ratianilse it away or hope someone else get involved.

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  26. Wow, I’m glad she was there and listened to her gut instinct!! She definitely saved that man and as you stated possibly a lot of others there from harm! Never underestimate the power we all hold inside of us, instincts are put in all of us, how you act on them is up to you!!! Thanks for sharing this.

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  27. I’m very fortunate to live in a small island where gun ownership is relatively low and gun related violence virtually unheard of. Only gun club members and farmers are gun users outside the police force and even they are only armed for serious incidents. Your story makes me very relieved I’ve never had to be in such a situation.

    However, as a former military officer who was range qualified and a firearms instructor, I never took the safety of anyone for granted when firearms were present. I started shooting with my school cadet force team at 15 years old and never forgot the firearms safety drills we were taught.

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  28. I learned a long time ago to go with my gut. It’s always right. I can tell by a text message if things aren’t right. People say that’s ridiculous. I say they’re blind.

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  30. No you are right 100% . Situational Awareness is number one.
    That’s a great story I try to teach my Wife, Son and Daughter. Most people get into situations when they are texting, thinking about life and not paying attention to where they are.
    One of my Martial Arts instructors taught us that you can develop a sixth sense to walking in a place and sense a problem before it happens.
    Being a biker in my early years and getting in to altercations frequently I knew exactly what he ment.
    The Vibes are there just listen.
    Thanks for that story.

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  31. Thanks for reminding everyone to pay attention- KNOW what’s going on around you. One day this practice may save your life, or someone else!

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  32. I could not agree more. I live in a high crime area. Whenever my wife leaves the house I always tell her I love you and pay attention to your surroundings. It sounds crazy but to often people get wrapped up in what they are doing and can miss these clues. God built us with these instincts we need to use them all the time. Thanks for sharing this story

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  34. As someone who has done freelance security I had to always have that instinct and think it’s fortunate that someone did in that moment those when pops hired me to teach young marine r.o.t.c cadets (kids of some customers) I always told them your gut is like a ranger it leads the way always pay attention and for god sake don’t forget my number 1 rule don’t skin it (pull your firearm) unless A:it’s the only option and B listen to that gut of yours cause that’s how your going to figure A out.

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  36. Great story I have learned from a teen to watch my surroundings my pop taught me this.
    The real problem here is to react and they did

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  37. I agree with you very much. Thank you for this story. We need reminded of this life situation every once in a while. Thank you, again.

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  41. Not quite as dramatic as the above. Some years ago, I went to a well appointed indoor shooting range. Of course, my handgun was unloaded and enclosed in a hard case as the range rules and common sense required. Immediately upon entering, I saw a small boy, perhaps 6 YOA, running around behind the counter and snapping what I first thought was surely a cap pistol As I got closer, I realized it was one of the rental revolvers. He was the only person at the front entrance to the range and had free access, not only to the rental pistols but also to the ammunition that was not secured with a lock.

    I went to find the owner/range master to report it and was told he was the son of a partner, was a very good shot, and well trained, so I shouldn’t be concerned. I pointed out all of the above – rental gun, access to ammo, only about 6 YOA, no supervision, and was again reassured all was well.

    I left immediately. Never heard of an ‘accident” there, but never came back either.
    Sigh.

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  42. I’m a firm believer of people watching no matter where you’re at or what your doing. If you do it enough, you can pick up on the littlest of signals people give off when something is about to happen.

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  43. Good thing she was very aware of things going on around her. People need to understand, in this day and age when things can go sideways in half a heart beat, crazy shit can happen. People need to be aware of their surroundings at all time. That is something I learned when I was a kid, and at 53 years old, I am too old to stand their and take an ass whooping and too old to stand there and go toe to toe with someone. ALWAYS BE AWARE.

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  44. In this day and age being alert to whats going on around you is very important and as a gun owner and carrier its even more so this story should tell everyone to keep your eyes open and listen to that little voice

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  45. There are many good books available, written by professional law enforcement, intelligence operatives, body language experts and professional interrogators that offer great insights into reading the subtle signals we give off without even realizing it. I would strongly encourage studying some of these methods, not only for incidents like this but to better analyse the actions and subtle clues our body subconsciously gives. These can be helpful in many aspects from dealing with a car salesman to judging a potential threat at an ATM.

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  46. Remarkable encounter we should all pay more attention to. We are too focused on ourselves rather than others (sad to say). Thank you for this reminder of our responsibilities.

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  47. That was a very interesting story. I’m so happy a life was saved that day because of Sarah.
    Depression can be very powerful, and can overtake a normal person to commit something
    you wouldn’t think of doing, otherwise.

    I find it hard to believe so many young people are now committing suicide; and at a much younger age.
    So very sad. In my 76 years on this earth, I cannot remember so much hatred politically and those growing
    up in a so called ‘Religion of Peace’ being taught to kill the ‘Infidels’.

    I am glad to be an old senior, who won’t probably be around much longer.

    I really don’t want to be on earth when the s*it hits the fan. I feel sorry for all my children and grandchildren,
    though. All I can do is pray a lot.

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  48. Great article. Reinforces the need we all must take to be aware of our surroundings and not lost in our phones.

    Articles like this help to focus us on what to do and keep it present at all timea
    Thank you.

    I need to be more aware. Anyone else feel that way?

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  49. Very good info, obviously this lady,s (womans intuition) was in high gear at that time and is credited for saving a life! Well done young lady,Proud of you!

    Reply