FBI report shows 10% of active shooters stopped by citizen with a gun.

[rogue06]

[stfoskey15]

I think this bodes well for the US. If gunmen fear armed resistance, maybe many of them will think twice before committing such atrocities.

"The best way to stop a bad man with a gun is a good man with a gun."

If gunmen can't get guns in the first place, maybe many of them will be unable to commit atrocities with a gun.

[Littlejoe]

If gunmen can't get guns in the first place, maybe many of them will be unable to commit atrocities with a gun.

Maybe...but, that option is nearly impossible...and even it it were the case, most likely the violence will continue with a different weapon of choice. I would much rather face a gunman with my own gun than a knife wielding man with my bare hands any day of the week.

[Psychic Missile]

Maybe...but, that option is nearly impossible...and even it it were the case, most likely the violence will continue with a different weapon of choice. I would much rather face a gunman with my own gun than a knife wielding man with my bare hands any day of the week.

Would you rather someone intent on killing as many people as possible use a gun or a knife?

[Littlejoe]

Would you rather someone intent on killing as many people as possible use a gun or a knife?

Believe it or not, it's not as simple of a question as you might think.

[rogue06]

Believe it or not, it's not as simple of a question as you might think.

If the killer is trying to be stealthy and take out his victims quietly one by one a knife would be a better choice.

[Psychic Missile]

Believe it or not, it's not as simple of a question as you might think.

It seemed pretty simple when you reduced the option of restricting access to guns to either a cowboy fantasy vs a world where non-lethal personal defense doesn't exist.

[Littlejoe]

It seemed pretty simple when you reduced the option of restricting access to guns to either a cowboy fantasy vs a world where non-lethal personal defense doesn't exist.

You have pretty twisted ideas of fantasy. I"m older, small and can't run well. To say I would rather take my chances using my gun vs. an active shooter or mano a mano with the other guy having a knife should be a no brainer.

Rogue has already shown how your "simple" choice can get complicated.

[stfoskey15]

You have pretty twisted ideas of fantasy. I"m older, small and can't run well. To say I would rather take my chances using my gun vs. an active shooter or mano a mano with the other guy having a knife should be a no brainer.

Rogue has already shown how your "simple" choice can get complicated.

If the other guy has a knife, wouldn't it be mano a cuchillo?
I guess guns do have the benefit of their power not being as much a function of strength as a sword or bow.

[Roy]

If the other guy has a knife, wouldn't it be mano a cuchillo?
I guess guns do have the benefit of their power not being as much a function of strength as a sword or bow.

Equalisers, they say. Which explains why US toddlers have a much higher murder/assault rate than those of other countries...

[Psychic Missile]

You have pretty twisted ideas of fantasy. I"m older, small and can't run well. To say I would rather take my chances using my gun vs. an active shooter or mano a mano with the other guy having a knife should be a no brainer.

Rogue has already shown how your "simple" choice can get complicated.

The fantasy is being in a situation where it's you with a gun vs another guy with a gun and you are on an even playing field. What's not complicated is that a single person with a gun can do more damage than a single person with a knife and you comparing the best case scenario with the widespread availability of guns with the worst case scenario with a scarcity of guns is intellectually dishonest.

[Littlejoe]

The fantasy is being in a situation where it's you with a gun vs another guy with a gun and you are on an even playing field. What's not complicated is that a single person with a gun can do more damage than a single person with a knife and you comparing the best case scenario with the widespread availability of guns with the worst case scenario with a scarcity of guns is intellectually dishonest.

Well, I don't publicize it but, I have been in a situation where I had my gun and the other guy had pulled a knife, when I pulled my gun, he ran away. Problem solved. So, I reject your fantasy and substitute my reality. If a gun ban had been in effect, the outcome could only have been worse for me (and my wife who was with me)

[Psychic Missile]

Well, I don't publicize it but, I have been in a situation where I had my gun and the other guy had pulled a knife, when I pulled my gun, he ran away. Problem solved. So, I reject your fantasy and substitute my reality. If a gun ban had been in effect, the outcome could only have been worse for me (and my wife who was with me)

Twice as many unarmed civilians stopped an active shooter than armed civilians in the data that inspired you to create this thread. Do you reject your own statistics? Active shooter scenarios are unpredictable and context-sensitive. We have real examples of "good guys" with a gun not being able to stop the killer. One such incident is detailed in your source as well. It just isn't reasonable to assume greater or lesser success at stopping an active shooter based on civilian self-defense.

[Littlejoe]

Twice as many unarmed civilians stopped an active shooter than armed civilians in the data that inspired you to create this thread. Do you reject your own statistics? Active shooter scenarios are unpredictable and context-sensitive. We have real examples of "good guys" with a gun not being able to stop the killer. One such incident is detailed in your source as well. It just isn't reasonable to assume greater or lesser success at stopping an active shooter based on civilian self-defense.

Well, we disagree...(go figure huh?) I think a trained and armed civilian self-defense can only help. 2 of the instances were when a teacher confronted the student and they complied...I don't think you can assume greater or lesser success with that method either.

[Psychic Missile]

Well, we disagree...(go figure huh?) I think a trained and armed civilian self-defense can only help. 2 of the instances were when a teacher confronted the student and they complied...I don't think you can assume greater or lesser success with that method either.

Do you think you would have been more successful in stopping the Pulse nightclub shooter than off-duty police officer Adam Gruler? Do you think you would have been successful in stopping the Las Vegas shooting if you were armed and in the concert crowd? Even if the answer to either of these questions was "yes", how many people do you think would have been shot dead before you saved the day? Sometimes a civilian with a gun can stop a shooting and sometimes they can't. How can you know so well that you being armed will help?