Options
As a result of the recent mass shooting in Colorado, many people have been asking, “What could one person armed with a handgun do against a psychopath in a bulletproof vest with throat and groin protectors and armed with an AR15, a shotgun, and two Glocks?” Well, to be honest, I don’t know. That’s not really important though. The difference between being armed and not armed is that being armed gives you more options. If you are armed, you have the option of trying to disengage and get away or to engage and fight. Your level of involvement may not be completely up to you, but you have more control over the situation than you do if unarmed.
The situation in that theater was horrible. There’s no arguing that. Anyone, and I mean anyone, carrying a concealed weapon would have been seriously outgunned and under-equipped. As such, I’m not going to armchair quarterback what happened. However, I would like to bring up some points that others may not have considered. As it stands, the guy was able to calmly walk down the aisle and shoot people at will. He was able to pick out a target, aim, and fire. His eyes were adjusted to the dark, since he hadn’t been staring at a brightly lit screen for the past 30 minutes. In his mind, he was unstoppable. What would have happened if someone in the audience had shined a 200 lumen strobe in his eyes and started putting multiple rounds of (pick a caliber) on target? What would that have done to his OODA loop (Look it up. It’s really interesting.) No, you probably wouldn’t have gotten penetration anywhere that was protected. However, the impact would have definitely made him reconsider and reassess. It’s impossible to say what would happen after that. He may have fled, or intensified his attack. It may have given you or someone else a chance to escape or take him down. You may have gotten rounds into unprotected areas that took him out of commission. The point here is that it gives you options other than hope.
One of the most common things I’ve heard after this is “What if you shot a bystander while going after the shooter?” Well, that would be horrible. That also brings up the question of whether you hitting an innocent bystander while stopping the attack makes the situation worse. For you and the bystander, yes it does. For everyone else, no it doesn’t. An important point to remember here is that just carrying a weapon does not mean that you have to engage. You have the option of moving, taking cover, or not engaging at all.
So you decide to arm yourself, what now? Get some training! I’ve spent a lot of time at ranges and, if nothing else, I’ve learned that most people can’t hit the broad side of a barn from the inside. That goes for long guns and handguns. You don’t need to be a world-class marksman, but your target shouldn’t be the safest place in the room either. There are tons of options for training from basic handling of a firearm up to serious “run and gun” training. Join a range that offers action shooting competitions. There are plenty of people at these competitions that are willing to help you become a better shooter. Also, don’t overlook the mental aspect of this. Run through situations in your mind. “If this happened, I would do this.” Go over scenarios like this and you can mentally prepare yourself. It may sound silly, but it works.
Situational awareness is also a very important part of defending yourself or others. It is easy to get zoned out playing with your new phone or watching a movie. You don’t have to be completely in Code Red all the time, but walking around oblivious is a bad idea too. Pay attention. If the little caveman in the back of your brain starts telling you that something is weird, listen to it. Before you walk into a building, stop for just a second and look/listen. People walk into robberies in gas stations with glass fronts all the time because they weren’t paying attention. When you go into an unfamiliar room, stop and observe before you get caught up in whatever you are doing. Where are the exits? Does anything seem off? You are equipped with survival instincts. Use them. The details you pick up by maintaining situational awareness allow you to better choose an appropriate action in a crisis.
In conclusion, I hope that this tragedy, like others before it, will cause more people to wake up and realize that their safety and the safety of those they love is THEIR responsibility first. Carry everywhere you can. If, God forbid, you ever need it you will be thankful you have it.
