# Self-defense (gun-control hypothetical) scenario

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-defense-gun-control-hypothetical-scenario/758950>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 2, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-defense-gun-control-hypothetical-scenario/758950 "2016-07-02T19:54:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 18

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-defense-gun-control-hypothetical-scenario/758950/18 "2016-07-03T16:35:01Z")

</div>

I wanted to ask this in the Good News Guns thread, but it just didn’t fit there. I was inspired by Gray Ghost.

His Post:

> [@Positive Gun News of the Day](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/positive-gun-news-of-the-day/735490/900):
>
> A more informative [article from the L.A. Daily News](http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20160326/south-la-taco-stand-employee-shoots-kills-would-be-robber). FTA:
> 
> The clerk shot the guy with the gun, stopped shooting him when he wasn’t a threat anymore, and didn’t shoot anyone else. Better than the cops do, frankly.
> 
> Really, the fact the criminals were _robbing_—[taking money or goods in the possession of another, from his or her person or immediate presence, by force or intimidation](http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/robbery)—should be sufficient. OTOH, the media is frequently imprecise with their descriptive language, and it wouldn’t be surprising for them to call a mere theft a robbery.

I’m not looking to derail this thread (or thread-shit). This actually brings up an interesting question. I’ll spoiler it because this may be the wrong place to ask it.

You are at your business and a licensed/legal gun is available to you for protection. Three men approach, one brandishes a gun and states the intent is to rob you or kill you if you resist.  
You pull and fire first and he goes down and won’t threaten anyone further.

**Million Dollar Question:** How do you know the other two aren’t armed? They _could_ just have their hands free to carry stuff. If they both start reaching fast toward their back belt, you’ll probably get one, but both?  
You just shot/killed their friend so if they have guns and if they pull them, they Will kill you.  
Assume that… if they make movements and _aren’t_ armed… and you shoot them… the people representing The People of your state will NEVER let you out of jail.

\*\*Extra Credit: \*\* One says he gives up and falls to the floor but lands on top of the gunman’s gun. He’s on his belly, moving around a little and saying “don’t shoot me”, but you notice his hands are underneath him and you can’t see them.  
The one still standing is making a quick reach to his back belt to either a gun or maybe just a camera phone?

Either way, Tenth of a second to think, and it will all be over in 3 seconds…  
_tick-tock_

_Yes, the law varies from location to location, but its still an interesting question because no matter what you choose, your life will never ever be the same again._

---

_[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-defense-gun-control-hypothetical-scenario/758950)._