Where are the fatal funnels?

• A. Doorways, windows, hallways, stairs or alleyway
• B. Open fields and parking lots
• C. Elevators and stairwells
• D. Bathrooms and kitchens

Answer: (A)

Fatal funnels are chokepoints in built environments where movement becomes constrained and exposure to threat is high, forcing people to pass through a narrow space where line-of-fire can be controlled. Doorways and windows are openings that compel you to move through a small gap, making you more visible and easier to engage. Hallways and stairs tighten the path of travel into a single corridor or ascent/descent route, concentrating attention and limiting options for evasion. An alleyway works the same way, funneling movement and narrowing the angles of approach. Open fields and parking lots lack these constricted pathways, so they don’t create the same predictable, high-risk exposure. Bathrooms and kitchens, while enclosed, aren’t universal funnels across a scene in the way doorways, windows, hallways, stairs, and alleyways are. Elevators and stairwells can be hazardous, but the list that best captures common fatal funnels across typical environments is doorways, windows, hallways, stairs, or alleyways.