Category: Carrying / Self-Defense

SayUncle noticed a blurb from a local TV station that seems to indicate that before backup arrived, the shooter went over to the constable, and upon trying to remove the now dead officer’s gun, took 5 or 6 round of handgun fire from a civilian. This seems to have caused him to retreat, and no doubt prevented him from arming himself with another gun.

Looks like someone in Nevada pulled a Plaxico in a movie theater (except for the whole carrying illegally part):

Witnesses told police the man’s gun had gone off when he adjusted his position in his seat. They said he quickly got up, apologized to other patrons sitting near him and left the theater before police arrived.

Officers later found the man at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Reno with a gunshot wound to his buttocks. He told them his gun – for which he had a valid concealed-carry permit – fell out of his pocket and discharged when it hit the floor.

His story sounds like a load of crap to me, but either way, a properly holstered firearm isn’t going to do this. I also wonder if he violated Uncle’s rule 5. Even for pocket carry, the gun should be in a holster made specifically to fit in a pocket. It’s amazing to me how many of these incidents happen in states that mandate training, where any instructor worth their salt is going to tell you to carry your gun in a damned holster. Nevada’s training requirements are considerably more stringent, even, than most states that require training.

The problem is, if you take a moron, and run him through a training course, at the end of the process all you have is a moron who’s had some training. It doesn’t change fundamental fact that the person is a moron. Just because you take a few piano lessons, doesn’t mean you’re on your way to being the next Vladimir Horowitz. Some folks will never get beyond Mary Had a Little Lamb, no matter how much instruction you give them.

Joe Huffman has a great post on redefining the no-win situation:

I can only think of one course of action that would apply in most lone-gunman mass shooting cases: EVERYONE on the scene channel the inner Super Hero, Marine, mama grizzly, Todd Beamer, or whatever amps up their kill instincts to 11, and as a group do a mass “charge the ambush!” with the express intent of taking his screw-cap off, ripping off his arm and beating him to death with the bloody stump, or stopping him in any way possible.

A primary difference, I think, between this scenario, and Flight 93, was that the folks on Flight 93 had time to communicate with their fellow passengers and coordinate a response. In the movie theater shooting, there was no time for that, which I think is the problem with collective action in a situation where there’s no time to communicate and plan. I’m certainly not going to charge an armed man and just hope some people join in. I’d need to know at least a few other people are game.

But overall, I agree with Joe with this point, “This sort of training and mindset MUST start in the schools.” Recently a friend who is a schoolteacher was up visiting, and I was relatively appalled they do regular cower and hide drills in schools these days. I offered her some advice on what to do if someone actually does get into the classroom, but if the schools are going to prepare for the extremely remote possibility of mass shootings, passivity is not what they should be teaching. Passivity will get people killed.

Brought to you by Heather in Alaska, who was having a conversation with some friends about the Colorado shooting, and discussed carry in movie theaters. This prompted the question: “Why would you need to bring a gun to a theater anyway?”

I think that particular question has rather answered itself.

Clayton notes that GAO says the number of concealed carry license holders is 8 million. His estimate was 7.6 million. Either way, that’s a large enough constituency that politicians won’t want to risk pissing off.

Robb answers this important question.

An English Professor takes does some hiking in Alaska, and gets into a dangerous encounter with a grizzly:

“All I could think about was this bear is so close to me I can see its teeth. I could have kissed it. I wished I had a gun.”

Some bear spray would be a prudent addition to her kit as well.

Black women. The tears of our opponents are sweet and satisfying.

Armed robber is shot by an armed customer, but it occurred in a store that posted against firearms.