That is a rough story. The service was being simulcasted on youtube. An HD link to the broadcast is at liveleak. [SPOILER]ItemFix - Social Video Factory
It appears the gunman was stopped from a larger rampage by either/or concealed weapons license holders/armed church security. The first to get shot, and his wounds look bad, was someone who recognized a danger, but was too slow on the draw to stop it himself. That’s why his right hand looked so awkward, high and behind his hip: he’s trying to draw a pistol. His sacrifice, and that of an usher, did distract the gunman enough that a second armed churchgoer was able to head-shoot the gunman before the gunman was able to accurately shoot at the pastor. The gunman still got a third, unarmed shot off from what I understand is a shotgun.
No doubt the gunman will be found to have multiple prior crimes of violence in his criminal history.
The thing is—and I haven’t seen this to confirm it for myself—there were several non church security officers, i.e. ordinary, CHL-holding churchgoers—who drew and were ready to try and stop that piece of shit. I have no idea what the status of the guy who died, or the guy who killed the gunman, was, but there were a lot of good guys with guns there. And absent overwatch, like how the Garland Texas, ‘Draw Mohammed Day’ went, that’s about as good as you can do. I would have like one of the exterior ushers/security to have noticed the gunman was distressed, and asked for reinforcements, but you play the cards you’re dealt.
I’ll toast that fat, older white guy, who got blasted first, in Valhalla should I be fortunate enough to meet him. He saved a bunch of people by (unintentionally) sacrificing himself to the gunman’s first shot.
From last month in Limestone County, Alabama, a man and a woman got into an argument at a local home; the woman drove away from the residence but the man pursued the woman in his own car. The man followed the woman onto the interstate, attempting to block her car and even run it off the road. After she exited the interstate and stopped her car the man began beating on the woman’s car, but after the woman pulled a pistol, he fled the scene. The woman drove to a police station and reported the incident, and the man was subsequently arrested and charged with reckless endangerment (and also possession of methamphetamine).
From a couple of weeks ago in Tampa, Florida, two teenagers (at least one of whom was armed) forced their way into a house on a Saturday evening. One of the residents of the home shot both teenagers with his own gun, wounding both, one fatally. Sheriff’s deputies also found two other teenagers in a car at the scene and believe they were also involved in the home invasion.
From last week in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, the rather bizarre story of a husband and wife whose vehicle got stuck in someone else’s yard. The husband then attempted to force his way through the front door of the house, but retreated after being confronted by a resident of the home. The husband then got a shovel and broke out a bathroom window, at which point he was shot and killed by the resident. The wife has been arrested.
From last week near Lima, Ohio, two men armed with handguns attempted to rob a store, but when they saw the cashier was also armed, they ran away without getting any money. No shots were fired and no one was injured; authorities are seeking the two would-be armed robbers.
From earlier this week in Danville, Illinois, several people armed with handguns kicked in the door of a home on Sunday evening. The homeowner got his own handgun and fired at the intruders, fatally injuring one of them. The other would-be home invaders fled the scene; so far, no arrests have been made.
From a few days ago in Cape Coral, Florida, the passenger of a rideshare car pulled a knife on the driver. The driver ordered the passenger to get out of the car, and when the passenger did not comply, the driver pulled a gun on the passenger, who then exited the vehicle. The erstwhile passenger was later arrested on a charge of aggravated assault.
Katia Sastre, a off duty cop shoots robber threatening mother’s & their children in front of a school.
I’m guessing the officer was there picking up her kid? She obviously was well trained and prepared. I was impressed by her calmness and professionalism.
From about a week ago in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a masked man started beating someone with a baseball bat in a Walmart parking lot on a Saturday morning. The attacker broke off the attack and left the scene when a witness to the attack drew a gun. The attacker was later arrested, and local police credit the armed witness with keeping a brutal and apparently random attack from being even worse.
This story from Leesburg, Florida is dated yesterday, but is actually about events which happened a couple of weeks ago. A man in a convenience store punched and kicked another man, injuring the victim seriously enough to leave “a large amount of blood on the floor” and sending the victim to a local hospital, and also physically assaulted at least one other person in the store. Another customer with a concealed carry permit then interrupted the attack by holding the attacker at gunpoint until police arrived. The attacker was arrested, and the armed citizen’s firearm was returned to him by the police (who had temporarily secured it after arriving at the scene).
From three days ago in El Cerrito, California, a man broke into the home of a family (a man, his wife, and their young daughter) a little after 1 a.m. The male occupant of the house armed himself and confronted the intruder while the woman and child sheltered in a bedroom and the woman called police. When the intruder refused to respond to the homeowner, the homeowner shot and fatally wounded the intruder.
From earlier this month in Tacoma, Washington, a man grabbed a woman as she was walking home and started choking her. A neighbor armed with a gun confronted the attacker, who then broke off the attack. The assailant (who seems to have been having some kind of mental breakdown) was then arrested by the police and charged with assault.