WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The shooting in Maine is on the minds of many, even in Florida.
"It was horrific," Bob Molina said. "Innocent people for no reason at all losing their lives."
Eighteen people died and 13 were injured in the rampage.
"They were just having a night at a bowling alley and not prepared, not expecting it," Linda Molina said.
Lewiston, Maine may be over 1,500 miles from West Palm Beach but the ramifications of the latest mass shooting in the United States is far reaching.
As the Molinas walked down Flagler Drive to grab lunch, they said they were hyper aware of their surroundings.
"We're just getting ready to go to lunch right now; today I will probably look around a bit," Bob Molina said.
According to security expert Gene Petrino, who has over three decades in law enforcement and private security, it's a smart move to be vigilant.
"I have a saying that, "you need to be prepared not paranoid," he said.
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Petrino said whether you're going into a concert, restaurant or even a bowling alley, you must have what he calls "situational awareness."
He said it starts by getting off your phone.
"We need to start paying attention and listening to our gut instincts, because we're biologically wired to identify threats," Petrino said.
He said think about the hair on your neck rising or getting goose bumps. He said it's important to have a plan of escape no matter where you go.
"Knowing the layout, knowing where you are in relation to the entries and exits is really the key," he said.
If possible, sit with your back to a wall facing the entrance or find something that reflects the doorway.
"If I'm out with my wife and I see something that doesn't look right, we have a code word that I'll say to her, and she'll know right away we're going to leave," Petrino said. "She'll act normal, get up and we'll leave."
The Molinas said the lull between each incident gives them a sense of false security and then they're snapped back into reality when another mass shooting happens.
"I really don't know how I can prevent anything from happening," Bob Molina said, "but I have to make myself aware of what's going on around me."
