[speeder]

So what happened there Rick? (And nutjob)? I thought that you guys were always preaching about how everyone packing in the supermarket or shopping mall could/would stop a mass murderer by dropping him with a perfect shot in the middle of the mayhem(?) And aren't half the people in AZ. just carrying a pistol in a holster on their belt, Rowdy Gaines style?

Sounds like the whole "armed shoppers make everyone safer" argument took a schit here. And I'm not convinced that having another idiot spraying bullets in the supermarket would have improved things. HTF would a 3rd or 4th stranger with their gun have known who the "bad guy" was when they turn their head at the sound of gunfire and see some random guy shooting at someone else? Then of course Mr. "goodguy" has to shoot back at "goodguy" #3 because the SOB is trying to kill him, etc., etc...

I'm not denying that there are some limited situations where an armed citizen could flip the script on a criminal murderer but the odds are 1000 times better inside of your own house. Once you get out to the supermarket, all bets are off. And the chances for an *all idiot* shootout jump like crazy. When some determined killer pulls a gun with 20 or 30(?) rounds and begins firing in a peaceful setting, he can kill a lot of people before anyone's brain even registers WTF just happened. It could be at Starbucks w/ four on-duty cops in the store and it would still be a blood-bath.

This is a horrible tragedy and unfortunately for 2nd amendment supporters, (including me), perception is reality when it comes to public sentiment. AZ. is considered to be the land of the gun nut by a lot of people and there will probably be new federal legislation making it harder to purchase a gun. I would not object to stricter screening for mental heath issues but that would mean no guns for a lot of people who post here regularly.