It’s true, despite what you may hear or read, mass shootings in the United States are declining. I originally compiled this list a year ago, but given the recent situation at Arapahoe High School, it seems like a good time to revisit it. There have been several documented cases in which armed citizens have stopped what could have been mass attacks by gunmen. The Pearl, Mississippi school shooting was stopped by the vice principal Joel Myrick with a Colt .45, The Appalachian School shooting was stopped by two students with handguns. In both cases, the armed citizens threatened the shooter and stopped the mayhem without firing . . .

Pearl High School – A 16-year-old killed two students and injured seven others at his school after murdering his mother at home.

Appalachian Law School – Three people killed and three more wounded when a former student opened fire.

Muskegon Shooting – Plans to slay everyone in a Muskegon, Michigan, store and steal enough cash and jewelry to feed their “gnawing hunger for crack cocaine” fell apart for a band of would-be killers after one of their victims fought back.

New Life Church – The mass church shooting in Colorado Springs was stopped when the shooter was shot by a church member with a CCW permit.

Santa Clara Gunshop – The Santa Clara gunshop shooting in 1999 was stopped by an armed citizen after the shooter declared that he was going to kill everyone. Police found a list of intended victims in his car. Only the perpetrator, Richard Gable Stevens, was shot.

Anniston Shoney’s Shooting – In of December, 1991 in Anniston, Alabama, a CCW holder stopped armed robbers who were herding employees and customers into a cooler. The CCW holder both robbers, killing one.

Golden Food Market Shooting – In Virginia in July 13, 2009 at the Golden Food Market, a gunman tried to shoot several people and was stopped by a CCW carrier.

Early Texas Peach House Shooting – In Early Texas, armed citizen Vic Stacy shot and stopped a deranged man who had just murdered two neighbors and was firing at police with a rifle. Stacy made a very long shot with his revolver, three times as far as the perpetrator was from the police officer, who had an AR-15 type rifle.

AT&T Store Link – Abraham Dickman had a history of anger against employees of the AT&T store in New York Mills, New York. On May 27th, 2010, he walked into the store with a .357 and a list of six employees. He shot the first employee, but Donald J. Moore, an off duty police officer who was allowed to carry his own handgun when not on duty, drew and fired his .40 caliber pistol killing Dickman before he could fire any more shots.

College Park Link – Two gunman entered a party and ordered the men separated from the women. Then they started counting bullets. “The other guy asked how many (bullets) he had. He said he had enough,” said Bailey.
When one of the assailants prepared to rape a girl, a student was able to access a handgun and engage the two attackers in a firefight, driving one off and killing the other before the thug could rape his girlfriend.
“I think all of us are really cognizant of the fact that we could have all been killed,” said Bailey.

Trolley Square Shooting – Another off duty police officer stopped the Trolley Square shooting in Salt Lake City with his personal handgun. He stopped the killing and contained the shooter until police reinforcements arrived and ended the situation.

Winnemuca Shooting – In Winnemucca, NV in 2008, the shooter, Ernesto Villagomez, entered the Players Bar and Grill and killed two people. He reloaded and continued to shoot when a citizen with a concealed carry permit shot him and stopped the killing.

Parker Middle School Dance Shooting – 14-year-old Andrew Jerome Wurst killed one person and wounded three others before he was confronted by James Strand who subdued Wurst with a shotgun and held him until police arrived.

Destiny Christian Center Shooting – Kiarron Parker rammed his car into another vehicle in the church parking lot, got out and attempted to kill multiple church members. He killed one before a member of the congregation, the nephew of the lady he’d killed and an off duty police officer, drew his handgun and shot Parker.

Tyler Courthouse Shooting – While police officers were involved in this shooting before and after a CCW holder, Mark Alan Wilson intervened, no more bystanders were killed. The shooter wore body armor and return fire, killing the CCW holder.

Clackamas Concealed Carry Showdown – I include this story because it is recent and has been getting some interest on the net. This case is not as clear as the others listed. This incident is similar to the more common defensive uses of guns because the mere display of the gun was enough to defuse the situation. We’ll never know if the shooter decided to commit suicide because he was confronted by Nick Meli, the CCW holder, but many mass shooters commit suicide when they meet armed resistance.

Copyright Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Gun Watch

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

43 COMMENTS

  2. Actually, mass shootings are increasing. Why? Because the anti-‘s keep sliding the scale and redefining, for their own purposes, what constitutes a mass shooting. You need look no further than last week’s Arapahoe HS shooting. One student was critical injured with no one else being harmed. They’ve already called this a mass shooting because of the “potential” and “intent” of the gunman.

    • And that’s the point, isn’t it? If you can say that one kid who was looking for one teacher and didn’t find him was a ‘mass shooting’ based on potential or intent, it’s a lot easier to convince the public that anyone with a safe full of firearms has nefarious ends in mind.

      • Just point out that the nefarious NRA was right. An armed guard would have saved lives at Sandy Hook because it did at Arapaho High School.

        • Wow, great, a link full of racism and hatred. Thanks!

          That was sarcasm btw. That’s why we are on here and you are on that board. Have fun with that.

    • Yes. but we all know that this “Mass Shooting” ended when the gunman was confronted with what the NRA suggested after Sandy Hook – an Armed Guard. In this case it was a school resource officer.

      • The sad part is that most of the MSM is calling the School Resource Officer a “Sheriff’s Deputy”. I read several stories that said the shooting “lasted 80 seconds until the gunman was met by a Sheriff’s Deputy”. They neglect to mention that the “Sheriff’s Deputy” is in the school every day.

  3. The conclusions drawn by Mr. Weingarten are the only conclusions that make any sense. “Bad guys with guns” frequently count on there being no one to effectively oppose them in the initial few minutes it take to perpetrate a violent crime, and we have seen time and again how little time it takes for a ruthless criminal to kill and injure innocent people.

    It only goes to demonstrate how the assault on our right to effectively defend ourselves and others has nothing to do with reality and everything to do with lies and deceit focused on disarming us so The State can control us more completely.

    BTW-the link Lauderdale Vet cited supports Weingarten’s conclusion very decisively.

  4. I pretty new to gun rights but would consider myself very pro gun and I’ve NEVER seen a list like this.

    Excellent post. It should be posted everywhere it can be and the details of these stories should be on the tip of every pro 2a’ers tongue.

  5. Amazing how successful DGU’s, especially those without the interceding CCW holder having to discharge his/her firearm, so seldom make national news, and when they do, are so quickly suppressed – oops, I mean forgotten.

  6. Well done, sir. Although the statists won’t acknowledge these truths, we will. It is not feasible to eliminate criminal carry. Therefore, we need good guys with guns if we are to effectively respond to the murders in our schools and churches.

  7. Usually, they disconnect their own brain upon the first inkling of a confrontation, if not sooner. Before police arrive. Even unarmed confrontation sometimes ends the attack. Both Loughner and Colin Ferguson ceased hostilities when the were tackled, despite the means to continue.

    They never resist. They never fight. They never engage the police or go out in a blaze of glory.

  8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_ABB_plant_shootings

    Large company here in St. Louis that prohibited concealed carry, an employee had to go to his car, retrieve his weapon, and then fired on the shooter. Shooter killed only one inside the 200,000 SqFt complex; after being driven off by the armed employee the shooter killed himself.

    The WIKI article only makes a passing mention of the CCW holder’s armed response, and no mention that he had to leave the complex, arm himself, and return to fight due to the company’s disarmament policy.

  9. I like the college park story, I just wish the linked article was not filled with a bunch racist remarks in the comments section.

  10. Great post highlighting one of the essential ‘truths about guns’, and one that is blatantly ignored by the libtard media.

  12. I really liked the Early, Texas story, some good ol’ boy downing the shooter at distance with a .357 mag, that’s awesome stuff right there.

    Also, I have to admit, the College Park story kind of creeped my out, only because I was at an Xmas party this past weekend- super liberal crowd, good people just a little misguided on a few subjects.

    Anyways, the story got me to thinking, I would bet money I was the only person carrying a firearm at that party.

    Now, I don’t know how many rounds it would’ve taken to stop some punk from trying to rape my woman, but I know how many I would’ve been sending, *spoiler alert* all of them.

    • “I really liked the Early, Texas story, some good ol’ boy downing the shooter at distance with a .357 mag, that’s awesome stuff right there.”

      It really helps to have the right tool for the job.

      My S&W Airweight I wouldn’t try a shot more than maybe 25 feet and expect much precision. The Ruger with a Crimson Trace I might feel comfortable at 25 yards, maybe 30. But my S&W Model 686, in single action, I have consistently put them in the bullseye at 50 yards over open sights Sweet piece of work, that pistol. Minute of bad guy? No problem.

      • He actually got a call for help from one of the neighbors to bring his gun. He said that he grabbed his .357 revolver and passed his AR-15 which was near the door. He stated in a video that he regretted not bringing the rifle to a rifle fight.

        Also the Governor gave him a LaRue rifle as a present for his good deed.

        • Yeah, that was kind of bad move, to bring the pistol instead of the rifle, but I’m glad worked out for him.

  15. “Santa Clara gunshop” is not the best title. “National Shooting Club, Santa Clara” would be better.

    FWIW, I shot there regularly before the attack in 1999, and even today I go there more than any other range in the Bay Area.

  16. “The WIKI article only makes a passing mention of the CCW holder’s armed response, and no mention that he had to leave the complex, arm himself, and return to fight due to the company’s disarmament policy.”

    By this time, Sharp had retrieved his semiautomatic pistol and taken cover behind a car. As Hendron fired 10 to 15 rounds at guard Cordin Hudson inside the security post, Sharp took aim. He fired eight rounds at Hendron—missing every time—before running out of ammunition. Sharp then left cover, sprinting across the parking lot to get away. Hendron fired on Sharp, critically wounding him in the abdomen and bringing him to the ground. Sharp laid still and played dead in fear that Hendron would shoot him again if he moved. The tactic saved his life.

    (…)

    Stephen Sharp II was able to get his handgun, take aim at Hendron, and fire eight shots. But he missed every single time, and the “lion” quickly became a “lamb” as an enraged Hendron turned his gun on Sharp. One witness recalled Hendron shouting at Sharp, “I’m going to get you. You shot at me. I’m going to get you!” Sharp was critically wounded by Hendron and had to play dead until police arrived to help him.

    http://csgv2.blogspot.com/2011/03/forgotten-guns-in-workplace-tragedy.html

    • So? This one guy missed, you are saying that no one should be allowed the chance to defend themselves because of this one guy? vs. the many successful cases listed above?
      And read the rest of the blog post, it just descends into typical anti-gun stupidity, talking about universal background checks, waiting periods, and even suggesting an assault weapons ban.
      The idiot even ends it with an Obama quote.

  18. Yet anti-gunners want to ban certain guns or ban guns all together. Then want scream ban guns when mass murders appear. This list just proves having more ccw holders out there is more than a good thing. It saves lives.

  19. Great list, it’s always good to have data of DGU’s, expecially on college campuses. While I am confident that the “No Weapons” signs on the doors at my school would undoubtedly deter any attackers, I would still feel more comfortable if they later us CCW permit owners carry.

    Ps: It’s Anniston alabama, with two “n”s. Unless there is a second town in Alabama with almost the same name as my hometown.

  21. I have been exploring for a bit for any high-quality articles or blog posts in this
    sort of house . Exploring in Yahoo I ultimately stumbled upon this website.
    Reading this information So i am glad to express that I’ve an incredibly just
    right uncanny feeling I found out just what I needed.
    I such a lot surely will make certain to do not overlook this web site and give it a look on a constant basis.

Comments are closed.