Question-handling an active shooter situation?

All,

thankfully, I have not been involved in an active shooter situation - yet with the deal in Oregon yesterday, and the Aurora theater deal - I do have a rambling concern.

"What if" I was in a mall, or someplace, with my family - I generally carry concealed BTW, and there is a goofball whom chooses to shoot up the place. Let's say I get my family out of the way the best I can, and I am no cowboy or anything, yet either the chance for taking the goofball out comes my way (no innocents behind him, clear shot, etc etc) - *OR* he's coming for me/my family, and I *HAVE* to respond using force.

Then, "what if" the local police show up - there I am with my gun out - possibly looking like the 'shooter' in the place (in the mall scenario anyone with a gun could be considered a 'shooter'.... Am *I* the one they are going to take out? based off of their poor information, I could be branded as the 'bad guy' in a split-second decision making deal with the LEO.

or "what if" someone was actually in the Aurora theater whom was carrying (ignoring the sign up front ) and attempted to take out the actual shooter - yet the LEO shows up at that time, what would the LEO do? Take out both?

What are your thoughts on this concept? i.e. being legal, providing defense, yet being thought of as the bad guy by the LEOs and thus possibly get taken out yourself?

thx

You've asked several questions and I'll try to answer them from my point of view. Keep in mind that these are my opinions only. Others may have different opinions which are equally valid.

1. I carry for protection of myself and my family. Once I have them, and myself, in a safe place I am not going BG hunting. My name is not John Rambo.
2. Only, and I stress "only", if I am in a position to to prevent the BG from shooting innocents without actively seeking him out will I act.
3. As soon as the police show up, my weapon is going to be on the ground as far away from me as I can get it and I'm going to be on the ground myself. Reasoning behind this is that any police officer responding to an active shooter call is going to be as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I do not want him/her to be nervous about me.
4. On the Aurora shooting, had someone ignored the signs and carried into the theater, a lot of lives would probably have been saved. From what I have read of the situation and its aftermath, there would have been ample time to disarm after having neutralized the threat and before the police arrived.

I guess the main point is this: If you are forced into action against an active shooter, you want to be darn sure you are not holding your firearm when the police arrive.

Interestingly your view of the confusion that would attend in a similar shooting situation is identical to thoughts going through my mind yesterday.

We keep hoping that someone would be carrying even though most malls have no gun policies.

My wife is in a wheelchair when we visit a mall - so you can picture the sight of us "running" from the scene.

One thought I had would be assuming you were not wounded and dying after stopping the shooter -get away from that scene ASAP.

You would likely be on video footage, and have to come forward - but at least you get yourself and loved ones to safety.

Train, prepare, act responsibly and hope for the best. That is all any of us can do.

OTOH - What are the options? To be disarmed is to be a victim waiting for a place to happen.

I think, being as police are people too, you can't totally prepare for however they might react. It's the risk we take. You can only hope that they're at least a little rational when they approach the scene.

ooghost1oo said:

I think, being as police are people too, you can't totally prepare for however they might react. It's the risk we take. You can only hope that they're at least a little rational when they approach the scene.

Click to expand...

And, as I stated above, being human, they are going to approach an active shooter situation with more than a little anxiety. Personally, I want to do everything I possibly can to alleviate that anxiety where I am concerned. That is why I said that both my weapon and I would be on the floor and with the weapon away from me when the police show up. Lessens the chance of them mistaking me for the BG.

It's not so much a case of rationality as it is a case of being human enough, on the part of the police, to be very nervous going into a largely unknown situation. I know good and darn well I would be extremely nervous in such a situation.

well, what you going to do OP? ... bad guy to left, ready to kill you and cop on right, trying to kill you


well, what you willing to do?

these are decisions you should make before you begin carrying ..

I myself, would defend myself from those trying to harm me ... seems reasonable ...

davidmcbeth said:

well, what you going to do OP? ... bad guy to left, ready to kill you and cop on right, trying to kill you


well, what you willing to do?

these are decisions you should make before you begin carrying ..

I myself, would defend myself from those trying to harm me ... seems reasonable ...

Click to expand...

Hopefully, the bg would be already down and the threat stopped. At that point I would secure myself to eliminate any reason for harm to come to me by leo. I understand proned out and handcuffed using painful force. I would not resist anything. Follow orders!