Stopping an active shooter

PhotonGuy

Senior Master
Joined
Aug 14, 2013
Messages
4,263
Reaction score
582
How to stop an active shooter. Having a gun of your own and the proper training to be able to effectively use it and a CCW can help in some situations but when the shooter is some 30 plus stories up in a building and using automatic rifles and you're on the ground its not going to help. As it is the USA is in mourning right now. An active shooter in Las Vegas just killed 59 people at least and injured over 500 from up in a building. If I was on the ground below what I would do would be to try to find cover as quickly as possible and to stay low. However, Im thinking is there any way to stop this before it happens? If you're at the hotel and you notice a suspicious individual can any actions be taken? Is there any way to know if a person is suspicious and if they might commit such a crime beforehand?
 

Flying Crane

Sr. Grandmaster
Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
15,257
Reaction score
4,967
Location
San Francisco
Typically no, unless the shooter is very careless and sloppy and is discovered before he takes action.

It would not be difficult to get this equipment into a hotel room and into position.
 

hoshin1600

Senior Master
Joined
May 16, 2014
Messages
3,152
Reaction score
1,678
is there any way to stop this before it happens? If you're at the hotel and you notice a suspicious individual can any actions be taken? Is there any way to know if a person is suspicious and if they might commit such a crime beforehand?

simple answer ....No
 

hoshin1600

Senior Master
Joined
May 16, 2014
Messages
3,152
Reaction score
1,678
on a larger scale the US needs to really address mental health issues. we no longer have services for those in need. at present the jails and correctional facilities are our only way to deal with people with mental health issues. the mother of the sandy hook killer said she knew her son had problems and even alerted the local police but was told there is nothing they can do until he actually harms someone. as a society we have decided that it is not humane to put people in an institution and we are paying the cost for that decision.

that being said in this instance there was no history of any mental health issue so it would not have prevented the tragedy.
 

jobo

Grandmaster
Joined
Apr 3, 2017
Messages
9,762
Reaction score
1,514
Location
Manchester UK
How to stop an active shooter. Having a gun of your own and the proper training to be able to effectively use it and a CCW can help in some situations but when the shooter is some 30 plus stories up in a building and using automatic rifles and you're on the ground its not going to help. As it is the USA is in mourning right now. An active shooter in Las Vegas just killed 59 people at least and injured over 500 from up in a building. If I was on the ground below what I would do would be to try to find cover as quickly as possible and to stay low. However, Im thinking is there any way to stop this before it happens? If you're at the hotel and you notice a suspicious individual can any actions be taken? Is there any way to know if a person is suspicious and if they might commit such a crime beforehand?
i think seeing someone struggle in to the lift with 40 guns is a good clue that all is not well
 
OP
P

PhotonGuy

Senior Master
Joined
Aug 14, 2013
Messages
4,263
Reaction score
582
i think seeing someone struggle in to the lift with 40 guns is a good clue that all is not well
He had 23 guns and they can be disassembled and put in suitcases, and he no doubt made multiple trips to transport them all into his room.
 

geezer

Grandmaster
MT Mentor
Joined
Oct 20, 2007
Messages
7,373
Reaction score
3,589
Location
Phoenix, AZ
i think seeing someone struggle in to the lift with 40 guns is a good clue that all is not well

If they are packed in bags and you use one of those big brass carts you see in hotels, it wouldn't be a struggle. Heck, you might just get the bell hop to take them to your room. Unless in addition to being a psychopath, you are too cheap to tip.

...like Mr. Pink.

Steve Buscemi GIFs - Find & Share on GIPHY
 

jobo

Grandmaster
Joined
Apr 3, 2017
Messages
9,762
Reaction score
1,514
Location
Manchester UK
He had 23 guns and they can be disassembled and put in suitcases, and he no doubt made multiple trips to transport them all into his room.
well someone who is booked in for one night with that much luggage is a bit suspicious,
 

Gerry Seymour

MT Moderator
Staff member
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
30,029
Reaction score
10,597
Location
Hendersonville, NC
i think seeing someone struggle in to the lift with 40 guns is a good clue that all is not well
From what we've been told so far, he simply carried suitcases up. A total of 10, but not all at once. If someone saw him carrying many times, they might have had questions, but any one trip with one or two suitcases wouldn't have raised anyone's suspicion.
 

Gerry Seymour

MT Moderator
Staff member
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
30,029
Reaction score
10,597
Location
Hendersonville, NC
Yeah, so far, this one is tough to try to work with. His family didn't even mention any odd behavior, even with hindsight. His brother didn't think he was any kind of "gun nut", and had no idea he had so many guns - I'm not clear whether he even knew his brother owned guns, at all.
 
OP
P

PhotonGuy

Senior Master
Joined
Aug 14, 2013
Messages
4,263
Reaction score
582
well someone who is booked in for one night with that much luggage is a bit suspicious,
I believe he had booked for multiple nights. He had stayed at the hotel before.
 
OP
P

PhotonGuy

Senior Master
Joined
Aug 14, 2013
Messages
4,263
Reaction score
582
So there has been talk here about how somebody bringing as much luggage up to their room as he did would arouse suspicion. The way I see it somebody might have lots of luggage for any variety of reasons many which might not be crime related. Just seeing somebody with lots of luggage I don't think would be grounds to stop and search them.

But aside from all that, to commit such carnage somebody doesn't need 10 plus guns. All they need is one gun and ammunition. A single rifle can be disassembled and placed in a single suitcase along with ammunition and brought up to a hotel room without arousing suspicion.
 

jobo

Grandmaster
Joined
Apr 3, 2017
Messages
9,762
Reaction score
1,514
Location
Manchester UK
I believe he had booked for multiple nights. He had stayed at the hotel before.
really, i wouldn't do that if i knew id be dead in the morning,

in answer to your question, no,there nothing ou can do, all it need is a mad man, an automatic weapon enough armo and some victims to all be at the same place at the same time,

after that its in the hands of the gods if you live or die
 

CB Jones

Senior Master
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
3,938
Reaction score
2,013
Location
Saline
really, i wouldn't do that if i knew id be dead in the morning,

in answer to your question, no,there nothing ou can do, all it need is a mad man, an automatic weapon enough armo and some victims to all be at the same place at the same time,

after that its in the hands of the gods if you live or die

He had been there for a week waiting for the concert. Plenty time to sneak the guns up a couple at a time.
 

Gerry Seymour

MT Moderator
Staff member
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
30,029
Reaction score
10,597
Location
Hendersonville, NC
So there has been talk here about how somebody bringing as much luggage up to their room as he did would arouse suspicion. The way I see it somebody might have lots of luggage for any variety of reasons many which might not be crime related. Just seeing somebody with lots of luggage I don't think would be grounds to stop and search them.

But aside from all that, to commit such carnage somebody doesn't need 10 plus guns. All they need is one gun and ammunition. A single rifle can be disassembled and placed in a single suitcase along with ammunition and brought up to a hotel room without arousing suspicion.
Yeah, there will be some armchair quarterbacking about the amount of luggage, but you're right. I've stayed a single night in a hotel with 5 items. I was delivering training seminars, and traveling among several cities by car, so had brought many "luxuries". So I had:
  • Suitcase
  • Duffle bag of workout clothes
  • My guitar case (with a guitar in it)
  • A cooler full of food I like
  • A box of training materials
  • A case full of training equipment (projector, etc.)
That's a full luggage cart for a single night at a hotel. Excessive? Absolutely and without a doubt. Unusual? Not terribly, from what I've seen, observing people checking in (both when I worked at a hotel, and as a traveler).
 

CB Jones

Senior Master
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
3,938
Reaction score
2,013
Location
Saline
That's news to me. A suitcase a day would draw absolutely no suspicion in most cases.

News report stated he had to book the room earlier in the week to guarantee getting rooms facing the concert.
 

lklawson

Grandmaster
Joined
Feb 3, 2005
Messages
5,036
Reaction score
1,680
Location
Huber Heights, OH
on a larger scale the US needs to really address mental health issues. we no longer have services for those in need.
We don't? Dang. And here I thought my wife was actually seeing clients, mostly on the taxpayer's dime, as a Board Certified, State Licensed, Counselor.

I'll have to be sure to tell her that she doesn't actually have a job.
 

MA_Student

Black Belt
Joined
Aug 28, 2017
Messages
577
Reaction score
370
How to stop an active shooter. Having a gun of your own and the proper training to be able to effectively use it and a CCW can help in some situations but when the shooter is some 30 plus stories up in a building and using automatic rifles and you're on the ground its not going to help. As it is the USA is in mourning right now. An active shooter in Las Vegas just killed 59 people at least and injured over 500 from up in a building. If I was on the ground below what I would do would be to try to find cover as quickly as possible and to stay low. However, Im thinking is there any way to stop this before it happens? If you're at the hotel and you notice a suspicious individual can any actions be taken? Is there any way to know if a person is suspicious and if they might commit such a crime beforehand?
Sure you could try if you want to end up dead. You suspect something call the police simple as that no point being a dead hero
 
Top