If a mass shooter starts firing their weapon, and you are next to them do you run and hide or try to stop them?

Question

TheorionMage · Accepted Answer

Depends upon the circumstances... IF I AM truly NEXT TO them... their IMMEDIATE attention is focused on their power trip 'fantasy' and my 'cooler head' and skills will prevail... PROVIDING I use skills and DON'T HESITATE and with full ferocity.

You MUST FIRST and FOREMOST neutralize the injurious threat of the 'force multiplier' weapon.
Disable the weapon and/or its shooter by ANY means possible! NO half-measures!

CONTROL the weapon's barrel and or block its trigger group. Mangle their fingers! Punch their temple! Knock the weapon off living targets! Twist the firearm toward the ceiling! Floors ricochet!

EVERY SECOND you delay their next shot is that much longer and farther potential victims can flee~

IF you start out THAT CLOSE to the Shooter, you WILL incur SOME injury, THAT IS AN UNDENIABLE 'given', ... however YOU determine... in large measure, HOW MUCH and for HOW LONG.
MAKE IT WORSE for THEM!
Get ANGRY rather than just frightened, and utilize your adrenaline.

MountAverage · Accepted Answer

Nobody can answer this. Everybody will claim some thing they'd supposedly do, but the truth is, none of us has any clue what we'd do if we were in such a situation for real.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I carry a concealed firearm, so I’d like to think I’d react and put two in his chest but you never really know how you’ll react until you’re in that kind of situation and the fight or flight instinct kicks in.

leighbee · Accepted Answer

I would run and hide but figure a way out to stop them

WhiteSteve · Answer

If I’m right next to them, I’m in good position for a takedown. “Run from a knife; charge a gun”, as they say. So even before we get into saving the day, just from a self-preservation perspective, I figure I make myself more vulnerable by running away from an initially close position. I actually heard somewhere that only like 6% of shooters are actually taken down by an armed civilian, and it’s much more common that they just get tackled by one or more bystanders. But my guess would be that the majority are just taken out by police or they kill themselves. But yeah, anyway, unless I thought I had a real clear path to an almost certain escape without catching the shooter’s eye and drawing fire from them, I’d go for the tackle. I was a football player, I played defense, I know how to hit-and-wrap😝 Probably would be tough to look myself in the mirror if I didn’t try to stop them when I could have too, and instead just ran and let other people get shot up.

libsaretards · Answer

I'll stop them. I have military training and deployment experience so someone firing at me is nothing new. There was a time where I saw a man start to pull out a gun but I was lucky enough to see him, draw mine first, put it to his back and told him to take his hands out his pocket and walk to the restroom without causing a scene. Nobody was even aware I had a gun pointed at his back. Goes to show how oblivious many people are.

In the restroom I kept my gun pressed into his back and ordered him to lay on his stomach with his hands up and told him if he even appeared to reach anywhere other than where I told him I'd pop a cap in his ass. I took the gun out of his pocket then called 911 and told them what I witnessed. A camera backed my story up and he was arrested. He did not intend on doing a mass shooting though. Apparently there was a rival gang member he intended to attack.

Adam1978 · Answer

If I am next to them as in close combat, you bet your ass I go for it. Running from bullets is extremely dangerous. So my odds is best if I overpower them there on the spot. If I still need to bridge a gap of distance. I would enter cover, because rushing towards them is like a pick me as next target move.

USLegionary · Answer

That's a hard one to decide. The situation is fluid and unpredictable. You can run znd you may or may not get away. You can charge the guy and you may or may not take them down. You can play dead and if may or may not work. If you conceal carry you can try to shoot them before they shoot you and may or may not get shot dead.

There's no way to predict what may happen no matter what you do and in stressful situations even with training and experience you can make a wrong decision.

Chazmatazz269 · Answer

If i’m next to anyone who breaks into violence of any kind, i’m going to commence with ruining their day. If they give me reason enough, i’ll ruin their life.
I’m not the kind of psycho who attacks people randomly. I’m the kind of psycho who quietly wishes every single day that i will meet the other kind and finally get to find out how hard it is to peel the flesh from a human skull with my bare hands.

Jacobbbb · Answer

Definitely try and stop them for a couple of reasons. One, if I'm right next to them and they're firing a gun I could be their next target if I just try to run away. Two, other peoples lives would be in danger. But at the same time I dunno. I'm not exactly really strong and physical so I'd have to catch them off guard if that's what I'm gonna do 🤷‍♂️

andreasderjuengere · Answer

Who could tell that in advance? Making decisions in a split-second cannot really be predicted.

If I'm close enough, I'd expect that I try to hit his firing arm (or such) - hoping that others nearby then take action as well.

But if the guy (or girl :D ) is out of reach... I'd rather help others into safety?

SmokinAces2000 · Answer

Depends on how close and the situation, if I’m a decent distance away and I’m with my family I’m going to protect them and guide them away from the scene but if I’m alone and arms length away then I will do everything in my power to disarm them and they would shoot me anyway if I was that close and tried to run

NewsReader · Answer

Not enough detail in the description to make a decision. I would want to stop them myself, but it might be too risky depending on multiple factors not mentioned here.

jennifer_bloom · Answer

Both. I would hide first until I have enough space and privacy to position my gun, and than I would sneak up on them and shoot.

DarkWinterNights · Answer

Fight back by any means necessary. Hopefully I would have my firearm, but my workplace strictly forbids legal firearms so more than likely if I was out in public during the week I wouldn’t.

spartan55 · Answer

Neither, I create distance ASAP and get out of the location. Hiding and fighting are always options 2 3

MikeInHawaii · Answer

The People’s Republic of Hawaii won’t let me (or anyone else) have a concealed carry permit, greatly reducing my odds of success. I might still try. Hopefully, some huge Samoans would join in.

SlothySlob · Answer

Give me the scenario. Depending on our positioning, I might already be dead.

Avicenna · Answer

How close is "next to them"? Close enough to tackle them?

jshm2 · Answer

Well, to be fair you're not going to survive either way.

Sixgunsound · Answer

Knife from close range, that’s quicker to deploy. Farther away my daily carry has a laser.

LordOfThePines · Answer

If I am alone, as in without loved ones there, I will run like hell to escape. If my loved ones are there, I will fight to ensure they can at least escape.

exitseven · Answer

I realy do not know. I hope that I can try and stop them somehow.

ArtemisSilver · Answer

I'd see if I could stick em with me good ol'buck knife, maybe get the gun away from him. Yolo

888theGreat · Answer

If i Have a gun , stop them. If not run like speedy gonzlas

Anonymous · Answer

Jimmy Hoffa. Always charge a guy with a gun. With a knife, you run away.

Anonymous · Answer

I'll at least try to stop them... I think. It depends on how much I value my life at that moment.

Guy13 · Answer

Stop 🛑 him/her out of instinct

AviatorTom · Answer

I'd take the shooter out.

MangoBob · Answer

I pull out my pistol and end the threat.

anylolone · Answer

Literally right next? I tackle.

KrakenAttackin · Answer

Try and stop them immediately.

MrTaboo · Answer

Draw my gun and shoot them.

If a mass shooter starts firing their weapon, and you are next to them do you run and hide or try to stop them?

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Okay, gun users, do you aim... or prepare to kill but remain calm?

If a mass shooter starts firing their weapon, and you are next to them do you run and hide or try to stop them?

Most Helpful Opinions

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What Girls & Guys Said

Okay, gun users, do you aim... or prepare to kill but remain calm?

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