Posted on 07/20/2012 8:46:30 AM PDT by drbuzzard
“Headquartered in Plano, TX, Cinemark Holdings, Inc. is a leader in the motion picture exhibition industry with 459 theatres and 5,181 screens in the U.S. and Latin America as of March 31, 2012,” their website reports. Cinemark owns the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, scene of last night’s mass shooting. Cinemark doesn’t allow anyone other than law enforcement officers to carry legal firearms in their theaters.
(more at the site)
We haven’t gone to movie theater in several years.....primarily because we experienced a guy running up on the front stage in the dark (during an ad prior to movie starting)....and it scared me....didn’t know WHO he was, WHAT he was doing, WHERE he was going...WHY he was there....he ran off the stage....but, my thought at the time was “What if he’d had a gun and started shooting?” In a dark theater you are like a sitting duck....
Good point. In some cases though, in some mental cases i should say, it may not have made a difference. However, it's true that most murders/criminal types prey upon easy victims and therefore avoid places where cops are nearby. So if a number of people are armed like cops, and trained how to react in situations like this, it would give many would-be murderers second thoughts.
Here though, if the guy did in fact use tear gas or something of that sort, then he might have suspected the possibility of people being armed (unless the theater had metal detectors at the entrance) and took precautions beyond just wearing body armor.
Don’t have time to quote them all, but they generally run like Section 46.035(f), which states, “it is a defense to prosecution under (unlawful carry on premises) that at the time of the commission of the offense, the actor was...an active judicial officer, as defined by Section 411.201, Government Code”. This applies to 30.06 as well. Also, 46.15 has a “nonapplicability” provision that excludes AJOs with CHLs. Takes a little patience, but there’s an exception or defense to every unlawful carry statute for AJOs with CHLs.
Don’t blame the messenger, THSR! I’m taking advantage of a specific legal provision that applies to my situation, in order to protect myself, my family and those around me. Your observation poses a much larger question than my secretary will let me take time for during the duty day!
jagusafr
If anyone in the theater had a concealed carry permit, they should sue the theater for stripping them of their right to defend themselves.
In basic training we had to run into an enclosed space with teargas in it, run in circles, stop and recite our army serial number, and run out. This was CN, not CS which is much more powerful.
If a person has a fighting instinct, they can overcome a lot of obstacles. There is absolutely no excuse for disarming law-abiding citizens.
Yup, Basic Training we of course went through the gas chamber as well. Concentrated CS gas (cause it was an enclosed space). I’ll admit, it sucked. But you can still see, your eyes are just watery and burn. The hardest part is breathing shallow and slow, which’ll help prevent coughing. Cause once you start coughing, it’s near impossible to stop. For his police/civilian grade tear gas, my guess is it wouldn’t be near as bad.
Also, different people have different reactions. We had several guys that nearly died (figure of speech), while there were two who were barely affected, even less than I was.
Overall, I would rather have a pistol and a small fighting chance at stopping the guy than to cower and cough under my chair and wait for him to zero in on me.
I hope the victims get a good trial lawyer and sue Cinemark into bankruptcy! Their policy created a free-fire killing zone and recklessly put every patron at risk. Their no gun policy is the equivalent of a policy of chaining the fire exits closed.
Before you jump too hard on the theater, be aware that many insurance companies in states with CCW require that the business must post no-firearms signs as a precondition of getting a general liability policy.
Cinemark Holdings, Inc. does not permit legally carrying citizens with CCW.But Cinemark Holdings will permit a terrorist to exit through an
Emergency Exit and re-enter with weapons to commit mass murder.People need to sue Cinemark down to their sox.
ATTENTION:
ALL TERRORISTS, KILLERS, ROBBERS, MUGGERS, AND OTHER THUGS
Cinemark wants you to know that we have disarmed our customers making them easy targets and prey for you. No need to risk going somewhere people might be armed and able to defend themselves. We have created a safe haven for you and a target rich environment.
That sticker is meaningless under Texas law.
Typically, a hardened target like that merits a hip/pelvic girdle shot to pin them in place.
>>First finding your weapon, then finding the dark perp and aiming in the chaos is a tall order and one that would have put more people in danger in the crossfire..
First finding your weapon??? Have you ever carried a handgun concealed? You know exactly where it is because 1) you practice drawing, aiming, and firing and 2) it is heavy and uncomfortable.
The dark perp is well-lit by the muzzle flashes. Furthermore, in a “dark theatre”, your eyes are adjusted and the screen throws off almost enough light to read by.
I agree that the average CCW holder with a concealable handgun should not pretend that he is Bruce Willis and go hunting the shooter, but if the shooter is coming at you with his rifle, it is far better to distract him with bullets than to just accept your fate and pray that the trauma team is really good.
Even with a vest, he is not Superman. Your bullets will hurt him and might make him turn away from you. You might miss center mass and hit him in the arm or crotch or leg or head too. I’d rather die with an empty firearm in my hand than a loaded one at home.
You are correct, there is a possibility for a crossfire scenario. There are also other possibilities, such as a person close enough to see clearly keeps his head, controls his gun, and hits his mark. Also the possibility that a return shot makes him decide to leave rather than continue shooting. Also the very real possibility that a theater without a firearms restrictions may not have been targeted. It seems amazing that most of these shootings occur in places that firearms are prohibited. I am having trouble finding a mass shooting that occurred anywhere where firearms or concealed carry was allowed. Can anyone help me find any?
Furthermore, the attempt to enforce such is obviously a 18 USC 242 case.
The same might be provable in a 30.06 case, but that'd take a lot of legal legwork.
Where is the LETSROLL Spirit? Why don’t our leaders stand up and tell the people to attack terrorist instead of running away? Where is the deterent to a terrorist in this Country. What are they supposed to be afraid of?
Charge and Crush the next SOB who tries this.
And the Sheriff should accidentally misplace the jail cell keys at just the exact time parents of those killed and wounded are in the area.
Man there are some outstanding comments on this thread.!!!!
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