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jillan

(39,451 posts)
Tue Jul 24, 2012, 11:36 AM Jul 2012

For all those that say more guns is the answer, here is a reminder of the Tucson massacre:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41018893/ns/slate_com/t/armed-giffords-hero-nearly-shot-wrong-man/#.UA6-erQfT-0

"I came out of that store, I clicked the safety off, and I was ready," he explained on Fox and Friends. "I had my hand on my gun. I had it in my jacket pocket here. And I came around the corner like this." Zamudio demonstrated how his shooting hand was wrapped around the weapon, poised to draw and fire. As he rounded the corner, he saw a man holding a gun. "And that's who I at first thought was the shooter," Zamudio recalled. "I told him to 'Drop it, drop it!'"
But the man with the gun wasn't the shooter. He had wrested the gun away from the shooter. "Had you shot that guy, it would have been a big, fat mess," the interviewer pointed out.

Zamudio had released his safety and was poised to fire when he saw what he thought was the killer still holding his weapon. Zamudio had a split second to decide whether to shoot. He was sufficiently convinced of the killer's identity to shove the man into a wall. But Zamudio didn't use his gun. That's how close he came to killing an innocent man. He was, as he acknowledges, "very lucky."

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If he decided to shoot, there would have been at least one more innocent person killed in Tucson that day.
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For all those that say more guns is the answer, here is a reminder of the Tucson massacre: (Original Post) jillan Jul 2012 OP
Everyone likes to think they'd be a hero and know exactly what to do. Chorophyll Jul 2012 #1
More chaos and more unnecessary deaths. jillan Jul 2012 #2
Almost certainly, yes. Chorophyll Jul 2012 #6
This story gets repeated a lot Reasonable_Argument Jul 2012 #3
He didn't correctly identify the situation, that's the whole point. jillan Jul 2012 #5
Seems to me he did Reasonable_Argument Jul 2012 #9
good news is nothing happened. ileus Jul 2012 #4
Nothing apart from the mass shooting which had already happened. nt Chorophyll Jul 2012 #7
No, the good news is that he knew his CCW teachings, which are not to shoot unless certain. Lionessa Jul 2012 #11
This story is very compelling. NewMoonTherian Jul 2012 #8
I dont get why this story is repeated. justanidea Jul 2012 #10
He almost shot the wrong person and only stopped himself because he didn't want to be identified jillan Jul 2012 #12

Chorophyll

(5,179 posts)
1. Everyone likes to think they'd be a hero and know exactly what to do.
Tue Jul 24, 2012, 11:38 AM
Jul 2012

But situations like this are chaos. More armed people? More chaos.

Chorophyll

(5,179 posts)
6. Almost certainly, yes.
Tue Jul 24, 2012, 11:47 AM
Jul 2012

And the guy in the interview had incredible presence of mind given the situation. I really doubt most people would respond even that well. They'd either be shooting wildly or -- preferably -- down on the ground crapping themselves.

 
3. This story gets repeated a lot
Tue Jul 24, 2012, 11:39 AM
Jul 2012

Why exactally should I worry that a CCW holder correctly identified the situation and didn't draw?

jillan

(39,451 posts)
5. He didn't correctly identify the situation, that's the whole point.
Tue Jul 24, 2012, 11:44 AM
Jul 2012

He had clicked the safety off and

one reason why Zamudio didn't pull out his own weapon was that "he didn't want to be confused as a second gunman."
 
9. Seems to me he did
Tue Jul 24, 2012, 11:53 AM
Jul 2012

He understood the risk of pulling his weapon and didn't. Anything else is Monday morning quarterbacking.

 

Lionessa

(3,894 posts)
11. No, the good news is that he knew his CCW teachings, which are not to shoot unless certain.
Tue Jul 24, 2012, 12:22 PM
Jul 2012

And though drawn and ready, he also didn't fire before speaking and announcing his (and his gun's) presence. You seem to think he got lucky because he didn't fire. Not the case, he didn't fire because he did it exactly correctly.

NewMoonTherian

(883 posts)
8. This story is very compelling.
Tue Jul 24, 2012, 11:51 AM
Jul 2012

But it doesn't invalidate the times when civilians with guns have successfully stopped violent attacks. It doesn't happen every time, and there are huge risks. You could have also cited the recent story of the man who shot at robbers in self-defense, and accidentally shot a clerk. It still doesn't mean that nobody has ever successfully used a gun to save innocent lives.

What this does make clear is a lesson taught even in the most basic hunter safety classes: Be certain of your target, and what is beyond it. You have to overcome adrenaline and act in a safe and responsible manner in order to save lives, rather than further endangering them.

 

justanidea

(291 posts)
10. I dont get why this story is repeated.
Tue Jul 24, 2012, 12:07 PM
Jul 2012

He did the EXACT same thing a police officer would have done. Be ready, and assess the situation.

Actually he probably did better since some police officers wouldnt have given him a chance to drop his gun. They likely would have just opened fire.

So why is this story constantly repeated? If he did things exactly how police are trained??

jillan

(39,451 posts)
12. He almost shot the wrong person and only stopped himself because he didn't want to be identified
Tue Jul 24, 2012, 01:37 PM
Jul 2012

as the shooter.

Why is that so hard to understand?

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