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Research: Armed Citizens MORE Effective Than Police at Stopping Active Shooters
AmmoLand ^ | April 8, 2025 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 04/10/2025 7:17:21 AM PDT by marktwain

New research from the College of William and Mary and the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) shows armed civilians are more effective than police at stopping active shooting attacks on the public. Armed civilians are more likely to stop the attacks without being injured or killed. Armed civilians stop more attacks than do police. Police in the United States stop almost as many attacks as are stopped by armed civilians.

For decades, Second Amendment advocates have considered it to be common sense that armed civilians would be more effective at stopping active shooter attacks on the public than police. To people familiar with firearms, shooting, and defensive tactics, who thoughtfully considered active shooting attacks on the public, such outcomes seemed obvious. Those without such a background sometimes considered the opposite to be true. Such persons would cite a lack of training, lower skill levels, and a general distrust of the ability of non-police to make good decisions in such fast-moving crisis situations.

The paper was published on April 3, 2025, by authors John R. Lott, Jr. and Carlisle E. Moody. From 2014 through 2023, using FBI data and a number of other public sources, researchers were able to identify 512 active shooter incidents that conformed to the FBI definition. Of the 512 incidents, 158 were stopped by police, and 179 were stopped by armed citizens. There were 177 where the shooter stopped or was stopped without intervention by armed civilians or police. These cases include incidents where the attacker committed suicide before police arrived, was subdued by unarmed people, was not apprehended, or was arrested in a different location.  About 8% of adults have concealed carry permits, while about 7.2% of likely voters self-report they carry firearms all of the time, and another 8.4% of voters self-report

(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: banglist; citizen; crime; johnlott; murder; police; security
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To: marktwain

No kidding.

Because it takes time for LE to arrive at a scene. Even if they were all perfect, that time delay cannot be helped.

Armed citizens are right there.


21 posted on 04/10/2025 7:51:16 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
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To: Lil Flower
Uvalde taught me everything I already suspected and more.

The contrast between Columbine and Jeanne Assam is what did it for me.

22 posted on 04/10/2025 7:59:10 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
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To: marktwain

Justice is best delivered when the innocent victim can turn the tables on the evil criminal. Resources and money saved. Lives and property intact. Efficient.

BE PREPARED.


23 posted on 04/10/2025 8:03:23 AM PDT by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
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To: marktwain

Can someone explain to me why Good Samaritan protection doesn’t accrue to the fuzz...?


24 posted on 04/10/2025 8:05:21 AM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away!)
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To: marktwain
Armed Citizens MORE Effective Than Police at Stopping Active Shooters AND ATTACKING BEARS.

fixed...
25 posted on 04/10/2025 8:08:46 AM PDT by larrytown (A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do. Then they graduate...)
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To: SaxxonWoods

Exactly.


26 posted on 04/10/2025 8:11:58 AM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: packagingguy
Lott continues to do essential work.

Remember, after Elisjsha Dicken put an end to a planned masacre at the Greenwood Park mall in Indiana (in the Indianapolis suburbs) the anti gunners ran with the spin that such interventions are incredibly rare, and really, most often just ended with the would-be armed citizen intervenor getting shot by responding police.  This dreck in the NYT is a prime example.

27 posted on 04/10/2025 8:15:40 AM PDT by absalom01 (You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more. You should never wish to do less.)
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To: absalom01

Mr. DICKEN should be The Poster Boy
for the Armed American Citizen !
.
Absolutely Fantastic Work on his Part.


28 posted on 04/10/2025 8:20:04 AM PDT by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
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To: marktwain

John Lott has done fantastic work for a long time.


29 posted on 04/10/2025 8:24:12 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: marktwain

Wow, W&M took a look at FBI published data on last decade and DISCOVERED that non-coppers stop most gun crimes. Wow. Real research there.
Geesh.

On average, guns stop violent and gun crimes over 300,000 times per year. It has been this way since data was being collected.


30 posted on 04/10/2025 8:43:04 AM PDT by bobbo666
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To: marktwain

We’ve been saying it for decades.

What is not measured is that the victim currently under attack correctly identifies their attacker much more accurately than any police investigation ever could...


31 posted on 04/10/2025 8:53:37 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (A Psalm in napalm...)
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To: marktwain
The media and government agencies insist on calling police officers, firefighters, and EMTs "first responders" but that's fiction designed to placate the masses.

You are the first responder. Police, Fire, or EMTs are second, if they respond at all before the incident is over.

32 posted on 04/10/2025 9:09:10 AM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: marktwain

Bttt


33 posted on 04/10/2025 9:48:28 AM PDT by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s, you weren't really there)
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To: PGalt

Part of being prepared is to carry a spare mag as I do. You never know how many person may be involved.


34 posted on 04/10/2025 10:11:53 AM PDT by Rowdyone (Vigilence)
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To: Rowdyone

Yes. I don’t always carry but when I do, my spare mag comes with me.


35 posted on 04/10/2025 10:22:54 AM PDT by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
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To: Bon of Babble

My wife shoots better than I, and she packs a .45 ACP with a laser trace.


36 posted on 04/10/2025 10:35:16 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: PGalt

Once a cop asked me if I was carrying. I answered in the affirmative. Next he asked how many spare magazines I had on me. I answered none. He then said “If I ever ask you again, you’d better be able to show me two spares.”


37 posted on 04/10/2025 10:37:33 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: GingisK

Good advice from LE.


38 posted on 04/10/2025 10:46:44 AM PDT by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
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To: Lurker

My old school.


39 posted on 04/10/2025 11:22:02 AM PDT by P8riot (You will never know Jesus Christ as a reality in your life until you know Him as a necessity.)
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To: marktwain

Faster than a turning camera, more powerful than a karen shouting through a speaker, able to discern actual situation over any AI interpreted database....

Super....citizen.

Stand proud.


40 posted on 04/10/2025 11:23:15 AM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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