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Comment by grkballer44 | Hacker News Reader

Within a couple years this exact scenario will play out. A gunmen will talk in a crowded place loaded to the gills. Assault rifles, bullet proof vest, explosives hid around the building. He will pull out his gun and kill the poor unsuspecting first soul. After that initial shot someone with a concealed weapons permit is going to blow his brains out cutting his rampage short ( I truly hope the person who plays the hero is a little old lady packing heat in her purse).

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You sound excited by the prospect. Personally I feel nauseous at your callous description:

'He will pull out his gun and kill the poor unsuspecting first soul. After that initial shot someone with a concealed weapons permit is going to blow his brains out...'

I truly hope that maybe we work towards a society where mass shootings aren't a monthly occurrence...

Right, because everybody with a concealed weapons permit is James Bond with perfect aim and cool nerves.

Reality is a little bit messier than your fantasies.

The point was that "he with the gun holds the power" in those situations. And I'm sure the person with the gun feels like that. Make the odds of him having his tables turned on him by respectable law abiding citizens, and suddenly he'll be more afraid to do harm.

Ideally.

As a side note, she shouldn't shoot for the head anyway, especially if the bullet is going to go propelling out of the man. That's a great way to have unintended collateral damage.

> Make the odds of him having his tables turned on him by respectable law abiding citizens, and suddenly he'll be more afraid to do harm.

Uh, we're talking about people who are frequently suicidal and are mentally ill enough to shoot up a kindergarten. I suspect they're not weighing odds in a logical manner, somehow.

I believe the parent post was speaking about a regular place in the city, not so much a school.

Note that these things are pre-meditated and that the people doing this are clever enough to hit soft targets.

Little old ladies with guns are typically not present in grade schools, nor would you want them to be because their weapons could be taken away from them and used against others.

Then someone blows the old ladies brains out thinking that she is the shooter. Nice plan.

I always hear people worrying about this, but it doesn't sound likely at all. Has it ever happened?

I have no idea. I live in a country without the general public having access to handguns.

Not quite the same thing:

http://www.policemag.com/list/tag/friendly-fire.aspx

(Do note that many of the incidents there involve an officer intentionally firing on other officers. But there are accidents there.)

Attempted mass shootings that fail like that don't get nearly as much news attention...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Colorado_YWAM_and_New_Life...

That guy was working security at the event and was a trained (ex-)LEO. Most people who have their fantasies about using their concealed weapon to save the day don't have nearly that much training or preparation.

How will common small arms deal with a determined gunman with assault protection gear, esp. in a chaotic, high stress situation like that? We would be better off finding a way to lessen and stop these kinds of events from occurring.

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