Current Events > Is there any merit that armed civilians will stop mass shooters?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Armed citizens have stopped shooters but how often does this happen?

Is this more a reflection of how many mass shooter situations happen in the states. That theyre so common place that odds are someone is in the right time and place to stop it.

I dont feel like arming more citizens Is the solution to gun control.

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IIRC at that Walmart shooting a while ago, there were several armed customers in there at the time, but not one of them tried to stop the shooter.

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It will happen once every blue moon.

and then the gun shills will point to those examples as absolute proof that we should have guns everywhere

Theyre probably more likely to kill an innocent instead of/in addition to the mass shooter

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I asked this question a few months ago but I dont think theres ever been a single case. And even if there is one it doesnt really make a sound argument

The "mass shooters" youre referring to dont show up that often, making the chances of them encountering an armed civilian very small.

Most mass shooters arent the "No Russian" type and instead are just regular shooters who happen to hit more than 3 or 4 people, and those are even less likely to run into an armed civilian.

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iirc there was a church shooting where the shooter got gunned down by one of the attendees, but not before the shooter himself shot several people

it's absolutely not perfect and better enforcement of gun control legislation would also go a long way in preventing the situation to begin with

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A lot of normal people don't carry guns on them all the time for these types of potential situations to occur.

RustyFerret posted...

A lot of normal people don't carry guns on them all the time for these types of potential situations to occur.

what's normal

really depends on the local culture

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I remember when it happened and CNN didn't want to run the story.

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TheMikh posted...

what's normal

really depends on the local culture

Oh, wasn't implying anything with that, haha.

Yeah, you're right it depends on the culture, the state laws, etc.

I think there's a lot of intent also, but when you are in the moment, it's an entirely different scenario. You can play it in your head over and over, being the hero, drawing on the shooter. And then you are in the middle of a store and someone starts shooting and your instinct is to find cover and hide.

It's a factor that should be considered. No one knows how they will react until they are put into an actual real life scenario like that.

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Pepys Monster posted...

I remember when it happened and CNN didn't want to run the story.

When was that?

theres tons of instances of civilians defending themselves with firearms. the issue with "mass shooters" is that they tend to be stopped before any serious casualties occur so they cease to be labeled a mass shooting to begin with. combined with most mass shootings taking place in areas where guns are more restricted and have less likelihood of an armed citizen being present to even increase the probability of them doing anything.

not everyone also carries a gun. there are something like 20million concealed carry holders in the country, but most are not carrying 24/7 or are restricted in where they can due to wanting to also fallow the law. they also tend to be more in rural and smaller town areas with less in larger cities (in part to it being more difficult to get a gun legally in those areas) which is where most mass shootings occur.

basicaly you actually have to have an armed citizen be present to even qualify in an event thats already an extremely low probability.