You're armed in the Colorado theater, what do you do?

[phill4paul]

First showing of the day is $4 where I live. It goes up from there. I think matinee is $5.50, and regular price is something like $7.50.

Old down-town theatre charges $2 for any showing. Inflation, it is still called the 'Dollar Theatre.' Older theatre with smaller screens than the Multi-plex. However, the seating is shorter so you are still close to the screen. You have to wait a month after the first run but worth it to me. They stay in operation through food sales so I will but a small popcorn and a drink. Even these are cheaper than at the multi-plex. They have two screens and run four movie's. Two children's movie's earlier then adult movie's at 7ish and 9 ish. I love that little theatre. Awaiting 'Avengers.'

 

[Southron]

Seeing as I rarely go to movies by myself, I would keep my head down and keep my wife covered. I would definitely have to see a safe window of opportunity to leave her.

If I was there by myself, I would also keep my head down, but return fire if possible. Even with body armor on, I would not want to be hit with a .45, which I carry. I don't think the gunman could keeping firing after several hits to his armor. Broken ribs and internal hemorrhaging are possible with armor on due to blunt trauma.

It's really impossible to know what you would do because it would likely take time for you to register what was happening. By the time you had chance to take action it could be over.

 

[Acala]

An extremely difficult situation - basically a perfect, commando-style ambush against an extremely vulnerable target. I have no idea what I would have done. But I know what I WILL do in the future when I go to the theatre - bring my flashlight and carry my .45 with the laser. Those are the only easy steps I can think of to increase the odds in a terribly one-sided situation.

 

[osan]

So you find yourself in the midst of the theater shooting but you're armed, what do you do in that circumstance? Run, hide, engage the perpetrator? I want your best answer for taking out a madman clad in body armor.

What say you Ron Paul Forums?

The best answer is that one cannot know until they are in the situation. There are too many factors. Darkness. Proximity of innocents, possibly behind your likely target. Possible difficulty determining what is really happening. Possible difficulty identifying the shooter vis-a-vis another citizen responding as you are.

This particular circumstance presents some unusual challenges. Anyone who thinks they know, a priori, what they would do in such a situation is fooling themselves and in so doing pose dangers to everyone. The only right answer is the one given above.

Gun control fools will posit these difficulties as proof that people should not be allowed to possess guns anywhere at any time, and especially in such conditions. Being fools, however, they never look at the other side of the issue. This cheap punk bozo waltzed in and shot a theater up with utter impunity because nobody there was prepared to address the situation in a way that could be even remotely considered as effective. Their only options were to run, stand there in terror, or beg for mercy which was most obviously not forthcoming.

In such terrible situations those responding to the initiation of violence always runs the risk of committing innocent errors that hold terrible consequences for someone. I see no basis for holding such people in any way accountable for their non-criminal, defensive actions and that it should always be assumed that had they not so acted the end result would have been worse.

There is NO WAY to know whether things would have been better or worse, and therefore we should assume the best as relates to the actions of those rising to the defense of themselves and their fellows. Cops botch their jobs ALL THE TIME and are rarely called to account for their actions and then only in cases where their negligence and criminality are so blatant and pubic outrage so violent that the "authorities" are left with little to no choice but to very reluctantly investigate. If police enjoy such insulation for their errors, there is absolutely no justification whatsoever to deny the same courtesy of presumption to every person.

 

[PierzStyx]

Drop to the ground, aim for the knees and legs. NO body armor can prevent the impact force of a piece of metal traveling 200 mop from doing massive crippling damage there. Then when he falls start shooting him either from below, where there is no armor, or if he falls forward, in the head.

 

[Bastiat's The Law]

Too many unknown factors. How close to the door am I sitting? Would I even have time to react if seated near? If seated in the back how many innocents in the line of fire? Would shooting from the back of the theatre cause the crowd to react by scaring them back in the direction of the shooter? Too many variables and there is never only one correct course of action in an engagement but there can be many, many, incorrect courses of action.

Well you'd fall into one of three categories. Fairly close, 20 feet or under. Middle tier seats. Long distance, back row or maybe elevated balcony if they had that.

 

[Bastiat's The Law]

Of course there's always the chance that SOMEONE ELSE is armed, and upon seeing YOUR gunfire, you get shot at.

Friendly fire is always a possibility, especially once the police come upon the scene.

 

[Bastiat's The Law]

Assumptions are being made the he (gunman) would be cool and calm if he were being shot at. That he could identify you as returning fire through the same smoke that you are dealing with, etc...

Too many unknowns.

In situations such as this, some people go into "micro time", they react with greatly increased speed of movment and thought. I've experienced this many times when in life or limb threatening situations, and that is what got me out of danger. (eg, picking up and getting control of a motorcyle sliding on it's side across the road when riding on top of it, etc.) But it does require the proper tools on hand to react.

Everyone in the theater said he was methodical and calm or expressionless. He was walking the aisle shooting people. He obviously didn't intend on any well-armed resistance. None of these mass shooters expect their intended victims to be armed put forth a fight. Case in point look at those knuckleheads haul ass in Florida at that internet cafe when that old guy pulled out a pistol, and a small caliber one at that. In this scenario I'm allowing you to be armed with your handgun of choice.

 

[Bastiat's The Law]

This guy wanted to live through the attack - and to take out anyone who was armed in the theater. Helmet, bullet proof vest, neck, groin and leg protectors.

Only thing that would instantly take him out would be a face shot, which would be tough with him moving and with smoke all around.

It would be a tough task.

I think an armed movie goer would have instinctively gone for chest shots and then been taken down by Holmes. Would have been tough to tell Holmes was so well protected with the smoke grenades he set off.

IF you could assess how much body armor he had on, I would have laid on the ground between seats and let him pass (or somehow circle around), and sneak up behind for a face shot, or perhaps empty a magazine in the rear of his legs which I assume were not protected.

I never had confirmation his neck, groin and leg protectors were bullet proof. The way they made it sound was it was a football type jock strap. His body armor didn't sound as elaborate was the West Hollywood bank robbers who made their custom body armor from neck to foot.

 

[Bastiat's The Law]

This guy wanted to live through the attack - and to take out anyone who was armed in the theater. Helmet, bullet proof vest, neck, groin and leg protectors.

Only thing that would instantly take him out would be a face shot, which would be tough with him moving and with smoke all around.

It would be a tough task.

I think an armed movie goer would have instinctively gone for chest shots and then been taken down by Holmes. Would have been tough to tell Holmes was so well protected with the smoke grenades he set off.

IF you could assess how much body armor he had on, I would have laid on the ground between seats and let him pass (or somehow circle around), and sneak up behind for a face shot, or perhaps empty a magazine in the rear of his legs which I assume were not protected.

I never had confirmation his neck, groin and leg protectors were bullet proof. The way they made it sound was it was a football type jock strap. His body armor didn't sound as elaborate as the West Hollywood bank robbers who made their custom body armor from neck to foot.

 

[Bastiat's The Law]

An extremely difficult situation - basically a perfect, commando-style ambush against an extremely vulnerable target. I have no idea what I would have done. But I know what I WILL do in the future when I go to the theatre - bring my flashlight and carry my .45 with the laser. Those are the only easy steps I can think of to increase the odds in a terribly one-sided situation.

Good call on the laser sight. That would be pretty wicked in a darkened area like that.

 

[LukeP]

I dunno but I heard one guy decided leaving his infant child, 4yr old and girlfriend behind while he got the hell out of there was a good idea. My answer, whatever it is: is not that.

Why would you bring an infant and a 4 yr old to see Dark Knight?

 

[smhbbag]

Reality: Hit the floor, cover my wife and/or kid, or hide in some way, and be ready to kill any shooter if he presents himself.

It's a completely unknown situation. I am one person. For all I know, there is a team of bad guys. With the smoke, pandemonium, gunfire, etc., I wouldn't have a clue what was going on.

And marching head-strong into an unknown situation against unknown bad guys with hordes of confused and scared people running around in the dark? Suicide. The bad guy won the overall game when he picked such a soft target and came in with a plan. I am at his mercy. The only thing I can do is try to keep myself and my family alive.

In the daylight with no smoke and smaller crowds, like VT, Columbine, McDonald's shootings, etc. - close to engage at my own risk. Gotta stop him. This one is different.

 

[KingNothing]

I dunno but I heard one guy decided leaving his infant child, 4yr old and girlfriend behind while he got the hell out of there was a good idea. My answer, whatever it is: is not that.

His story is tragically comical. Then he proposed to the mother of the children. She said yes, but on the interview of the two that I saw, it appeared as though she was looking right through him.

I agree, though. I don't know what I would have done, but I'm relatively certain I wouldn't leave my kids behind.

 

[hazek]

Good call on the laser sight. That would be pretty wicked in a darkened area like that.

It also makes you a easier to identify target for him, so it's not all benefit.

 

[Cowlesy]

ITT we all make believe how brave and heroic we are.

Hah, exactly.

Dark theater, movie playing, tear-gassed, 200 people panicking rushing for the exit, muzzle flashes, screaming, gunshots, shooter wearing body-armor...

well yeah, just lay a face-shot from across the theater with your carry pistol of course.

 

[specsaregood]

His story is tragically comical. Then he proposed to the mother of the children. She said yes, but on the interview of the two that I saw, it appeared as though she was looking right through him.

I figured he proposed because he knew he royally screwed up and figured that was the best way to cover for it. I hope you are right about her though.

 

[qh4dotcom]

 

[UtahApocalypse]

First off, this scenario suggests that the gunman would have opened fire on well armed citizens.

Best answer in the thread. If rather the "Gun Free Zone" You had this posted:

Would this shooter have even gone into the theater?

 

[qh4dotcom]

Best answer in the thread. If rather the "Gun Free Zone" You had this posted:



Would this shooter have even gone into the theater?

Theaters don't have glass doors like that....and the shooter might not have noticed it....that's not going to stop anyone from committing suicide also.