Download ArticleExpert advice on staying safe and hiding from an intruder
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This article was co-authored by Tsahi Shemesh and by How.com.vn staff writer, Hannah Madden. Tsahi Shemesh is a self-defense expert, specializing in Krav Maga. He began learnring Krav Maga in 1988, and trained directly under Imi Lichtenfeld, the founder of the sport. Shemesh is the Founder and Program Director of Krav Maga Experts in New York City. He has certified hundreds of instructors, trained a wide variety of professionals (including EMTs and NYPD officers), and his curriculum is taught in over a dozen countries worldwide.
There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 512,573 times.
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. If you’re at home, out in public, or on campus, knowing how to find a good hiding spot can help save your life. Plus, planning ahead and using security measures can make your home even safer if a murderer ever does break in. If you’re ready to feel safer and have a strategy in mind for a dangerous situation, keep reading.
Things You Should Know
- Pick a hiding spot with a sturdy door that has a lock on the inside. Barricade the door with heavy furniture.
- Stay quiet, and turn off all the lights to hide from an intruder.
- Contact emergency services as soon as possible. If you don’t want to make noise, text 911 or text a friend to call 911 for you.
Steps
Choose 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, look for a sturdy lock on the inside of the door and a door that opens outward so the murderer can't kick it down. Barricade the door with additional obstacles, like heavy pieces of furniture.[1]- If 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 2 exits (like a door and a window) is ideal.[2]
- If you're outside, you may not be able to barricade yourself. Look for a secluded location that you will easily be able to escape from if necessary.
Stay quiet. Once you find a hiding spot, do whatever you can to make sure that the murderer does not locate you. If you are with other people, avoid talking to each other. Make sure your cell phone is silenced so that it doesn’t ring.[3]- The murderer may still be able to hear your phone if it is on vibrate!
- Resist the urge to yell to the murderer that you have contacted the police.
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Obscure 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.[4]- Turn off any other sources of light, like computer monitors.
- While calling for help is your priority, beware of the light from your cell phone. If the murderer is right outside your door, they may be able to see it.
Avoid huddling together with others. 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.- Make sure everyone stays away from windows, as these are often the most vulnerable part of the room.[5]
Hide 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.[6]- Hide behind the (floor-length) curtains, behind a desk, or behind the clothes in a closet.
- Try hiding under the bed, under a pile of laundry, or under a blanket.
- Consider hiding inside a cupboard, in the washing machine, or inside a large box.
- If you are outside, hide behind a bush, under a car, in a trash can, or under a porch.
Hide 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.[7]- Lying face down or in an obscured location may help, as the murderer will not be able to see if you move a little bit.
- However, playing dead doesn’t always fool an intruder, so it’s usually not recommended by experts.[8]
Call 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.[9]- The operator will want to know as many details about the situation as possible, like 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.
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Run 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.[10]- If 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.
Head 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.[11]- 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.
Plan 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.[12]- If you decide to fight, commit to it. A half-hearted attempt at fighting back will only put you in more danger.
- Disarm and/or incapacitate the murderer, and then run away as fast as possible.[13]
- If you have a gun, use this to defend yourself. If not, incapacitate the murderer using pepper spray.
- If 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.
Use 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 is easy to use and reasonably likely to inflict harm.[14]- You can use a backpack as a shield or to swing at the murderer.
- You can use an item like a baseball bat, an 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 their face.[15]
Cooperate 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’s 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.[16][17]- Be 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 ask tons of questions or provoke the murderer.
- 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.
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Secure your home. 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.[18]- Make 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 can’t be broken.
- Keep windows closed and locked at night and when you’re not in the room.
- Make sure your home is well-lit at night to deter intruders.
Install an alarm system. Alarm systems provide excellent security and peace of mind for people at home. They automatically call for help if someone breaks into your home, and they often scare intruders off.[19]- Some 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.
- 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.
Prepare a safe room in your home. Have a designated safe room in your house, and make sure that the entire family knows that this is where you will hide in the case of an emergency. Pick a spot with a sturdy door and a strong lock on the inside.[20]- 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.
Keep 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, stock the area with the supplies you will need in the event that a murderer does break into your house. Keep a phone, weapons, and any other safety equipment in the area.[21]- 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 don't have guns at your home, keep some improvised weapons in this location.
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Community Q&A
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- QuestionAre we allowed to randomly throw steak knives at them?
Community AnswerIf someone is trying to kill you, you can defend yourself, but throwing steak knives seems like a good way to arm your attacker, especially if you are not a skilled knife thrower. - QuestionCan I hurt the intruder?
Community AnswerYes, you may hurt an intruder in your home or personal space if it is necessary for self defense. - QuestionWhat should I do if I accidentally kill the murderer while fighting?
Community AnswerCall emergency services immediately. When the officers arrive, tell them everything. Be honest and open. You have nothing to fear if you kill someone in self-defense.
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Tips
- Don't come out until the police arrive. You may think it's safe when it's not actually safe yet.Thanks
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Warnings
- Do not speak when hiding. Text 9-1-1 if possible in your area to talk to the police if talking is too risky.Thanks
- Remember that any weapon you choose to use may be used against you.Thanks
- If you have a gun, make sure you get training so you know how to use it in an emergency.Thanks
- Never try to take matters into your own hands unless it is absolutely necessary.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/what-to-do-if-someone-breaks-into-your-house/
- ↑ http://emergency.brown.edu/hostile-intruders/
- ↑ http://www.citizendefensetraining.com/safe_at_home.htm
- ↑ http://emergency.brown.edu/hostile-intruders/
- ↑ https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/safety-armed-intruder
- ↑ https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/safety-armed-intruder
- ↑ http://emergency.brown.edu/hostile-intruders/
- ↑ https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/safety-armed-intruder
- ↑ https://www.gvsu.edu/emergency/active-shooter-hostile-intruder-23.htm
- ↑ https://www.gvsu.edu/emergency/active-shooter-hostile-intruder-23.htm
- ↑ https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/safety-armed-intruder
- ↑ https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/safety-armed-intruder
- ↑ Tsahi Shemesh. Self Defense Trainer. Expert Interview. 17 September 2019.
- ↑ https://info.publicintelligence.net/LA-DisguisedWeapons.pdf
- ↑ http://www.citizendefensetraining.com/safe_at_home.htm
- ↑ Tsahi Shemesh. Self Defense Trainer. Expert Interview. 17 September 2019.
- ↑ http://www.citizendefensetraining.com/safe_at_home.htm
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/what-to-do-if-someone-breaks-into-your-house/
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/what-to-do-if-someone-breaks-into-your-house/
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/what-to-do-if-someone-breaks-into-your-house/
- ↑ http://www.citizendefensetraining.com/safe_at_home.htm
About This Article
Self Defense Trainer
This article was co-authored by Tsahi Shemesh and by How.com.vn staff writer, Hannah Madden. Tsahi Shemesh is a self-defense expert, specializing in Krav Maga. He began learnring Krav Maga in 1988, and trained directly under Imi Lichtenfeld, the founder of the sport. Shemesh is the Founder and Program Director of Krav Maga Experts in New York City. He has certified hundreds of instructors, trained a wide variety of professionals (including EMTs and NYPD officers), and his curriculum is taught in over a dozen countries worldwide. This article has been viewed 512,573 times.
Co-authors: 94
Updated: January 11, 2024
Views: 512,573
Categories: Self Defense
Article SummaryX
To hide from a murderer, look for a room with a window, like a bedroom. That way, you can barricade the door with a piece of furniture and crawl out the window if you need to. Once you’ve blocked the door, turn off any lights and close the blinds to make it harder to spot you. Then, hide under a bed, behind a desk, or inside a cupboard to put another obstacle between you and the killer. Make sure you turn your phone on silent and be as quiet as possible so you don’t give away your location. As soon as you think it's safe, call the police or emergency services. For more tips, including how to find a good weapon to fight a murderer, read on!
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