Off-duty Officer with Concealed Handgun stops Utah Mall Shooting
I have been arguing this point for years, but here is one reason why police officers should be allowed to carry concealed handguns when they are off-duty. Fortunately, the off-duty officer ignored the "no guns allowed" sign at the Mall. The killer apparently also ignored the sign.
It appears as though off-duty Ogden police Officer Kenneth Hammond, who carried a concealed weapon, stopped the killing spree, said Clark Aposhian, chairman of the Utah Shooting Sports Council.
Aposhian noted that it is impossible to know whether a concealed-weapon holder could make a difference in every violent confrontation.
"But we do know what happens when there is no one with a concealed weapon in these situations - people die."
Aposhian spent Monday fielding telephone calls from individuals and groups seeking information on concealed-weapons permits. . . .
Of course, this argument applies to letting others as well defend themselves.
There is a real concern in my mind that this may be the beginning of more terrorist attacks. There was the attack last year in Seattle. At first glance, this is starting to look like a pattern.
Neighbors and friends back in his home country are shedding more light on the 18-year-old immigrant involved in Monday's shopping mall shooting rampage in Utah.
People close to the family of Sulejman Talovic say the Bosnian immigrant was only four when he and his mother fled their village on foot after it was overrun by Serbian forces. They say Talovic spent five years living as a refugee in Bosnia before his family moved to the U-S.
During his time as a refugee, they say he spent time in an enclave where up to eight-thousand Muslim men and boys would be slaughtered in 1995.
Talovic left before the massacre, but acquaintances say it may have left a mark on him.
A family friend says he's convinced "the war did this in Utah." . . .
This last story is one of many that fails to note that it was an off-duty officer who stopped the attack.
Aposhian noted that it is impossible to know whether a concealed-weapon holder could make a difference in every violent confrontation.
"But we do know what happens when there is no one with a concealed weapon in these situations - people die."
Aposhian spent Monday fielding telephone calls from individuals and groups seeking information on concealed-weapons permits. . . .
Of course, this argument applies to letting others as well defend themselves.
There is a real concern in my mind that this may be the beginning of more terrorist attacks. There was the attack last year in Seattle. At first glance, this is starting to look like a pattern.
People close to the family of Sulejman Talovic say the Bosnian immigrant was only four when he and his mother fled their village on foot after it was overrun by Serbian forces. They say Talovic spent five years living as a refugee in Bosnia before his family moved to the U-S.
During his time as a refugee, they say he spent time in an enclave where up to eight-thousand Muslim men and boys would be slaughtered in 1995.
Talovic left before the massacre, but acquaintances say it may have left a mark on him.
A family friend says he's convinced "the war did this in Utah." . . .
This last story is one of many that fails to note that it was an off-duty officer who stopped the attack.
Labels: ConcealedCarry, DefensiveGunUse, GunControl, GunFreeZone
posted by John Lott at 1:35 AM
3 Comments:
It's a shame the shooter was killed before he could be examined for motive.
I could endure knowing the reason for the shooting. At this distance, it sounds like what the Palestinians tried at Israeli markets, until they found out that most Israelis shoot back.
One thing sort of stood out.
"Homicide and suicide rates in countries where gun ownership is restricted - like Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom - are a fraction of the U.S. rate, Sackett said."
Suicides/100k (men,women):
US (17.6, 4.1)
UK (11.8, 3.3)
CAN(19.5, 5.1)
JAP(36.5, 14.1)
Source: http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suiciderates/en/
Country Homicides/100k:
US 5.70
Eng 1.41
Jap 0.62
Can 2.16
Source:
http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvinco.html
Of course, these numbers don't speak to how gun control laws changed the suicide and homicide rates. Sounds like an interesting topic for a book.
Kris's sources are in question. They do not jive with other references. I will have to try and find the references. One thing that was mentioned was the way the statistics are recorded.
This puts a twist on the end results. Like the old saying, you can make the statistics show what you want.
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