Bear in mind the majority of the "internet commandos" on this particular forum are concealed weapon holders & many have been psychologically prepping themselves for life & death experiences just like this. If you are surprised to hear board members say they believe they would have taken action against their attacker then you don't understand the mindset of most people that carry a firearm. This isn't a gardening forum, people here shoot guns; some very often, some very accurately. If someone that carries believes they would duck, cover & hope for the best - I suspect that they need to stop carrying right away because their firearm is likely a liability & not an asset.
How is that any different than what I said here?
And this sure doesn't sound like someone who is taking cover and engage the threat when and if possible. This sounds like someone who thinks they would have made it a point to engage the threat...
Is that some of the training that your were talking about?
Actually, it's generating a healthy discussion and making people think "what would I do if...". No one is saying exactly what they would do and how they would do it, but you have to be mentally prepared to respond, whether it be fight, flight or freeze.
what would have happened if 30 people in the theater would have had ccw??
Based on demographics and what I see of your average group of SDA permit holders, probably several would engage and most would do exactly what the crowd did.
+1000
Listen, I've never been in a combat situation. And this is not a typical CCW situation it was more like a combat situation. But I have several family members who have been. And I have seen what it does to those people. So while I do not know what combat is like I do know that it is something that I would never take lightly enough to just spout out comments like "this is what I would have done in this situation....." because the truth is that I don't know because I've never been there before. When discussing situations like this I think its best to leave the hypotheticals to people who have lived the real thing rather than internet commandos arguing over what they would do. Because honestly, I think it's rather insulting to the people who really know what the situation is like when people like me sit around and talk about what I would have done in that situation. That is all.
Are you aware he was in the theater with them, not shooting at them as they came out?
So your options were:
1 - Run and become part of the mass of bodies he's shooting at, and hope that yours (or your families') isn't one that gets hit.
2 - Cower and hide, and hope he doesn't find you.
3 - Fight back.
In this case, all the options sucked. The point is, Yes, as a CHL holder, I *hope* to be mentally and physically prepared to do more than join in with the panicking mob.
C
Clay
Guest
This likely happened in a matter of 60-90 seconds total. With the smoke, lack of light and people panicking, responding with any force would have been difficult. Those with a CCW may have been on the floor getting trampled and kicked. Lots of confusion to go along with the other factors I mentioned. Much different situation than if this was a lighted store and a gunman walked in with 10-20 customers standing in the isles rather than seated together like sardines in the dark.
If that was the case then obviously yes you would want to take cover and take the shot. From the story that I read this morning it made it seem like he was outside the theater, threw in the tear gas and was shooting as they left. If I am wrong about that then I apologize about that. I also read that one of the witnesses said it went on for about 20 minutes and I didn't think he would be inside a theater shooting for 20 minutes. This whole argument just highlights the lunacy of agruing about a situation that we still don't know much about.
Edit, I just read that it was about 90 seconds total. It was 20 minutes into the movie when it started.
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