Talking About America's Gun Culture: Could "good guys with guns" have stopped the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton?
Could "good guys with guns" have stopped the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton? If by “good guys with guns” you mean average civilians with legally-purchased, licensed, and concealed firearms, no. Not in this scenario. First of all, it doesn’t matter if you’re a good marksman, an expert hunter, or a retired combat veteran. Mass shooting incidents are “bolt out of the blue” events; the perps (whether they are foreign terrorists, white supremacists, or angry adolescents with guns) don’t announce themselves ahead of time or act in a way that you, Mr. or Ms. Average Citizen With a Gun, will detect in time for you to reach for your concealed weapon, take the safety off, and fire ordnance downrange and on target to prevent a tragedy and, incidentally, become a hero. In the case of Connor Stephen Betts, the Dayton, Ohio shooter, there were two law enforcement officers close by when the gunman started firing indiscriminately into crowds at the entrance of Ned Peppers Bar ...