re: aware of the danger, and the soldiers were not
There’s a guy in their midst and he’s shooting people left and right, some more than once. Shouldn’t that have been a clue to SOLDIERS that something was wrong and need immediate attention? There were at least 30 people in the area, that’s how many were killed or wounded. If just half of them had charged him he could have been overcome, before the officer even had a chance to fire.
Maybe the poster’s comment wasn’t worded as well as it could have been, but the point is these men were soldiers, some recently returned from combat duty. How in the world could the terrorist be able to shoot that many people without others trying to take him down? I’m not questioning anyone’s courage or decision making. Lord knows, I’ve never been in an area where someone was shooting everyone is sight, and I’ve got to seek an explanation of how it could go on for so long.
It’s a touchy subject, I know that, but with it happening more and more we need to find out how someone can shoot 30 or more people and not be stopped.
It’s an interesting irony that Kileen is the home of Ft. Hood and that’s where the guy shot up the Luby’s and killed like 26 people.
Not having been there, I couldn't actually say why things transpired the way they did. I seriously doubt that cowardice had much to do with the casualty count, though.
The key thing is that these are people that don’t expect to be shot on their own turf. They were in a safe place, one where you are not wound up tighter than a drum. A place where you are forced to be UNARMED.
As someone who has been in more than a couple of fire fights, (Viet Nam).. I can tell you that Even when being armed to the teeth, when the rounds are flying .. You Really, Really wish you weren't there and you Really, Really want to run the hell away.
I can't even Imagine hot lead flying all over the place, me being unarmed and saying to myself .. I think that I'll just run on in and rush the mad man!
Maybe in the movies but in Real Life? ... NAH!
Depends where the shooter opened fire. If he had walked into the M.P. HQ he would not have lasted very long. If the shooting occurred in a support services building or area, where most of the service members have not seen combat, you will see many more casualties.
Don't be a moron. He could have been shooting from a concealed position, from within a building or with his back and one side completely sheltered in the corner of buildings. The victims were lined up outdoors to get flu shots. They could have been mowed down in a split second.
There's a line in Harry Potter where a man says, "But you know magic! Surely you can solve anything!" The response is, "The other side knows magic, too."
Time, distance, unarmed, and the perp was a soldier also. After the ballistic reports come in, I suspect we'll find that some of the people hit were hit by friendly fire. If the officer that took him down emptied a clip and hit him four times, where did the other rounds go? What was behind the perp? Other soldiers? A block wall that allowed ricochets?
There's a lot of stuff about this that isn't clear yet. Let's let it sort itself out a little.