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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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Armed citizens are inside the problem when it happens. They have significant advantages over responding police. It is not surprising they are more effective in responding to stopping active, public attacks.
1 posted on 04/10/2025 7:17:21 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

2 posted on 04/10/2025 7:18:35 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

When seconds matter, the police are just minutes away.


3 posted on 04/10/2025 7:21:39 AM PDT by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: marktwain

Armed citizens actually have more latitude when it comes to actually shooting “perps”.

When a cop says “stop or I’ll shoot”, you can pretty much run with impunity. It’s an empty threat (unless you’re showing yourself to be dangerous). If a private citizen says the same thing, I’d stop.


4 posted on 04/10/2025 7:23:51 AM PDT by cuban leaf (2024 is going to be one for the history books, like 1939. And 2025 will be more so, like 1940-1945.)
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To: marktwain

It’s just common sense.

Armed citizens that are in the area when the problem starts are more tactically aware, know who the bad guys are, have already scouted exit strategies for innocents, etc.

Police arriving 5, 10, 30 minutes later are going in literally blind to any of that.


5 posted on 04/10/2025 7:24:12 AM PDT by ro_dreaming (Who knew "Idiocracy", "1984", "Enemy of the State", and "Person of Interest" would be non-fiction?)
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To: marktwain
Armed citizens are inside the problem when it happens.
6 posted on 04/10/2025 7:24:56 AM PDT by ComputerGuy ( )
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To: marktwain

Plus private citizens are not burdened with rules of engagement.


7 posted on 04/10/2025 7:27:04 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: marktwain

That is simply damning of police training.
With lawyers in charge, things get difficult for law enforcement.


8 posted on 04/10/2025 7:27:11 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
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To: marktwain
Research: Armed Citizens MORE Effective Than Police at Stopping Active Shooters

Confirming what my Father taught me Seventy Years Ago, ... unsurprisingly.

9 posted on 04/10/2025 7:31:44 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (President Trump Decisively Won Popular & E.C., Celebrate Recivilization!)
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To: marktwain

Given all the restrictive policies on the police, this is a given.


10 posted on 04/10/2025 7:32:34 AM PDT by SaxxonWoods (The road is a dangerous place man, you can die out here...or worse. -Johnny Paycheck, 1980, Reno, NV)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

De-escalation BS. The video of the guys that took out the school shooter in Nashville showed how it should be done. They turned a corner and saw the female shooter and shot her on the spot. A few seconds later delivered a coupe de gras.


11 posted on 04/10/2025 7:32:56 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: marktwain

Oh no, William and Mary won’t do.

L


12 posted on 04/10/2025 7:35:13 AM PDT by Lurker ( Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: marktwain

It seems beyond obvious that this would be the case.

By the time you call police - if you are able - critical minutes will have passed - including possibly your own life.

Being armed and ready means action against criminals is immediate.


13 posted on 04/10/2025 7:39:11 AM PDT by Bon of Babble (You Say You Want a Revolution?)
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To: Bon of Babble

If I was in a situation like that I’d have to wait for one victim to get shot then I do away with the perp. Fewer legal issues to answer. Then I’d scatter.


14 posted on 04/10/2025 7:45:03 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
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To: Lurker

I can’t believe College of William and Mary would come out with a study like this.

It’s always been a place for the kids of Northern Virginia government workers and has veered left over the years.

They must have let some professor with the “wrong” attitude slip in.


15 posted on 04/10/2025 7:46:22 AM PDT by packagingguy
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To: Lurker

Well, I did not think the girl could be so cruel


16 posted on 04/10/2025 7:46:26 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: marktwain

I’m guessing way more armed citizens than armed police on site at the time.


17 posted on 04/10/2025 7:46:28 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: DIRTYSECRET

Why my husband always said he’d hand the gun to me - fewer legal problems for a small, female, senior citizen - than for him.

But then, I was always the better shot at the gun range...


18 posted on 04/10/2025 7:46:46 AM PDT by Bon of Babble (You Say You Want a Revolution?)
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To: marktwain

There is also this wrong notion that being a police officer makes you a better shooter. There are lots of cops who are members of our gun club (shooting range). They are no better on average than the other members. Some practice a lot. Some don’t. Some are naturally gifted shooters, some aren’t. Just like everyone else.


19 posted on 04/10/2025 7:46:53 AM PDT by circlecity
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To: Carry_Okie

*** That is simply damning of police training.
With lawyers in charge, things get difficult for law enforcement.***

Cops are trained to look out for each other and to make it home. They are not trained to “protect and serve” anymore. Uvalde taught me everything I already suspected and more. You have to protect yourself.


20 posted on 04/10/2025 7:48:09 AM PDT by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God. ROLL TIDE!!)
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