I recently read an article released by the FBI about the “active shooter” incidents that occurred in America during the years 2016 and 2017.
Important facts stated in the study; 221 people died (down from 231 in 14/15), however, the amount of law enforcement officers killed tripled from 4 to 13, (6 of those officers were killed in ambush-style attacks). All the shooters were male, every type of gun used was listed. The most important figure in my mind was that 8 (yes, only 8) shooters were stopped by citizens. And out of those 8 only 4 used firearms. The number of lives those brave citizens saved can’t be measured. Those people are true heroes.
The paltry amount of citizen intervention in the face of an active shooter is understandable. Most people (no doubt myself if I were ever faced with that type of situation) simply flee to protect themselves. Fight or flight, it’s a basic human instinct. Please don’t think I am berating anyone for not fighting back. That is not my intention. A survivor is a true hero as well
My gleanings from this study are the opinion of a layperson with nothing more than a layman’s understanding, but I think we laymen are the ones best poised to stop these incidents from happening. First, we have to understand that even though the action done by an “active shooter” no matter how heinous, is not the most important variable, we must focus on the intention behind the action. Choosing to take lives is unspeakable, but no one pulls the trigger without an intention behind it.
So what can we do about it? First and foremost you must work to know your friends and family. In each and every situation someone close to the shooter missed their chance to intervene, now obviously that intervention may not be enough to succeed but there is no way to track how many people have had decisions changed by loved ones.
Secondly, you must always be armed. We have the right to arm ourselves against anyone who chooses to do us harm. Now realistically 100% of the time you have a firearm with you, it will probably not be needed. But that is not the point, out of the hundreds of millions of people living in America during those two years only four were in the right place at the right time with the right tool for the job. That is the point! If we want to succeed in changing the minds of people who believe gun users are evil and intend to do harm, then we have to show them that we are the majority, the Second Amendment exists so if there are 50 active shooters, then there should be 50 (or more) active defenders.
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