Active shooter response

[BluBlur]

I saw an article where there was a shooting at a Walmart and there were civilians carrying inside at the time who drew their weapons in response. I’ve always wondered what would happen if you and another armed citizen where to respond to something like this and then encountered one another. What would happen? I know some situations that COULD happen. Would you and the other responder mistake one another for said shooter? How do you distinguish good guy from bad guy in a situation like this? Assuming you cannot obviously tell who the guy blasting people is, or say he is not wielding a rifle going to town. I guess it is a sticky situation.

 

[hpclayto]

More than likely more people are going to get shot.

 

[wcd]

I saw an article where there was a shooting at a Walmart and there were civilians carrying inside at the time who drew their weapons in response. IÂ’ve always wondered what would happen if you and another armed citizen where to respond to something like this and then encountered one another. What would happen? I know some situations that COULD happen. Would you and the other responder mistake one another for said shooter? How do you distinguish good guy from bad guy in a situation like this? Assuming you cannot obviously tell who the guy blasting people is, or say he is not wielding a rifle going to town. I guess it is a sticky situation.

First and foremost I would be removing myself and family from situation. I would not be responding, that's the job of Leo. Presuming there was a other armed person there its highly unlikely I would encounter them and my weapon would remain hidden and holstered unless there was a clear and present danger to my family which could not be avoided by means of evasion and cover.

 

[Expat]

Didnt one Good Samaritan get shot by an accomplice while trying to intervene?

 

[Bob2]

Valid concerns, a buddy and I were just discussing how many things could have gone wrong for the two guys that shot/chased the TX church POS. So glad they did what they did, but a lot of what ifs came to mind.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

First and foremost I would be removing myself and family from situation. I would not be responding, that's the job of Leo. Presuming there was a other armed person there its highly unlikely I would encounter them and my weapon would remain hidden and holstered unless there was a clear and present danger to my family which could not be avoided by means of evasion and cover.

Yeah this.

Unless I have no choice, the safest thing to me and my family is to flee the scene. I'm not trained nor have the experience to seek out and engage an active shooter.

 

[Thor]

I don't think you should be wanting to shoot anyone with a gun just because. It should be fairly obvious to you who is going crazy kill boy and who is just trying to help or defend themselves. It it's not obvious to you leave your weapon holstered and leave unless directly engaged by crazy kill boy. If it's outside your wheel house stay in your wheel house, the time to leave it is not during an emergency.

Feeling there is a threat in the store does not mean you should shoot everyone else in the store...this is IN, there may be a LOT of people there with guns. You need to be able to ID the bad guy...don't become the bad guy.

 

[Ark]

My active shooter response is to run, really fast. I consider a dude with a rifle and body armor to be outside the envelope of CCW.

You might get shot by the bad guy. You might get shot by an accomplice you failed to flag as a threat. You might get shot by the police. You might get shot by some other dude trying to play cowboy.

SWAT would not be a thing if a single person with a handgun was up to the task of handling every possible threat. Sometimes you're outclassed, and you just gotta GTFO. I know this sounds cold, but it's up to everyone else in the store to have their own tools and their own preparations for self-defense. Of course, all kinds of things can happen in the real world, but my default setting is "Don't Be A Hero".

 

[BluBlur]

Didnt one Good Samaritan get shot by an accomplice while trying to intervene?

Yes I believe another Walmart story. Shooter had an accomplice who shot good guy in the back. A lot of unknowns and “what if’s” in any scenario for sure.

 

[Brad69]

Hmmm
This thread kinda kills the good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun thing?

General Themes

1. Run away

2. Let LEO take care of it

3. Who’s the bad guy

I know in the local Wally’s down here you see 3 or so OC at any given time I would double or triple that for CC.
Most people have truck guns in the parking lot I mean like just about everyone.
The situation would be interesting to say the least?

 

[KellyinAvon]

All depends on the situation...

 

[BluBlur]

All depends on the situation...

You’re right, too many variables. Just wondering what the popular vote would be.

 

[Thor]

My vote would be for: Point, Click, Delete.

Defend yourself, defend your family, defend the innocent.

But that's just me.

 

[BluBlur]

My vote would be for: Point, Click, Delete.

Defend yourself, defend your family, defend the innocent.

But that's just me.

I feel the same, I would defend my family and any one around me while looking for an exit but I don’t think I would go chasing down the bad guy

 

[Old Dog]

First and foremost I would be removing myself and family from situation. I would not be responding, that's the job of Leo. Presuming there was a other armed person there its highly unlikely I would encounter them and my weapon would remain hidden and holstered unless there was a clear and present danger to my family which could not be avoided by means of evasion and cover.

This ^^^^^!

 

[GIJEW]

Aside from plan A of GTFO first (maybe you need to cover your family's exit?), you could probably ambush the mass murderer since you can hear the direction he's going/shooting. Keep your pistol in a 'low ready'/'suhl' position and it ought to clear to anybody brighter than a 10w bulb that you aren't the problem. Add a bit of communication and you'll be able to triangulate the POS

 

[Vigilant]

Situational awareness. It’s real easy to draw your weapon surreptitiously, and as easy to keep it on the downlow enough to engage and not be engaged. Obviously, after you tend to yours, but after they are “safe” the fight is on.

 

[nakinate]

All depends on the situation...

Yeah, if my family is with me then my priority is their safety. If I’m alone then I may respond. I can’t say for sure what would happen until it does.

 

[GNRPowdeR]

Didnt one Good Samaritan get shot by an accomplice while trying to intervene?

Yes I believe another Walmart story. Shooter had an accomplice who shot good guy in the back. A lot of unknowns and “what if’s” in any scenario for sure.

Situation was in Vegas a few years ago... A couple had gone into the store with one trailing the other. Armed civilian went to terminate the lead without seeing there was a trailer and the trailer executed the civilian.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

First and foremost I would be removing myself and family from situation. I would not be responding, that's the job of Leo. Presuming there was a other armed person there its highly unlikely I would encounter them and my weapon would remain hidden and holstered unless there was a clear and present danger to my family which could not be avoided by means of evasion and cover.

Exactly my thoughts.

My first goal is to GTFO if someone is blocking my egress then I will do what ever it takes to remove said obstacle. Chair to noggin, fire extinguisher to the face or bullet(s) to chest. What ever the situation allows