My intuition is that police would prefer hostages behave passively to maximize their odds of survival.<p>As problem solvers and technologists it&#x27;s tempting to think we hold the cards, but I think this is an example of problem technology does not do well at. Capabilities for hostages are necessarily capabilities for hostage takers. The reality is if someone is determined to kill many people, they are going to succeed.<p>Maybe we should focus on making life better for the people still around to enjoy it, and promoting peace and nonviolence in our own communities.