A theater shooting seems to be a popular method for crazy people to take their aggression out on others. So, I figured it would be a good idea to do a scenario on this. Because, you never know what could happen, right?
If you haven't read the story yet, do so now.
This poor sap seems to have done everything to the best of his ability. However, there is something else he could have done, that goes against a lot of the modern day teaching and thinking of the gun community at large.
Theater Shooting Scenario: What Would You Do? (Part 2)
First, let's talk about what we do know. He was well trained with a pistol and goes to the range on a regular basis. Good for him. That is more than most people are willing to do. Next, he seems to have a level-enough head to keep his cool, protect his wife and formulate a plan. Finally, he has a pistol of his own that is chambered in .380 ACP.
A lot of gun enthusiasts will scoff at the power of the .380 round, to which I say: You obviously haven't been around firearms long enough if the only thing you're thinking about is the knock-down power of a single bullet. What is truly better from a self defense POV: several well placed rounds with a smaller bullet? Or, one okay shot with two more that never even hit? (obviously there is more that goes into it, like ballistics, type of bullet, etc…but just go with me here, okay?)
Anyway, I digress.
His .380 is a pocket pistol that holds somewhere between 6-9 rounds, meaning that he's got at least three shots left. He's done everything to the best of his ability to this point, and hasn't made any major mistakes. He shot center mass with his pistol, but the criminal had protection.
A majority of gun enthusiasts will tell you to go for the head shot.
This is wrong, and I'm going to tell you why. But before I do, there is a reason why firearms instructors tell you to shoot center mass. First, there are vital organs all over the place. Second, it is the easiest place to hit when your brain and body are an exhausted pile of Jell-o.
So, if you originally thought head shot, you'd be wrong. It is just too small of an area. Plus, our hero in this story has been shot in the shoulder, forcing him to use one hand for the rest of his defense. The only time you'd ever go for a head shot, is as a last resort when every other part of the body is fully protected in armor.
The next biggest mass area that should be targeted in a situation where an attacker is wearing a bullet proof vest is the groin. The groin area (as a whole) is large enough that it doesn't take a tremendous amount of concentration to hit, and is filled with soft tissue and bone. I can all but guarantee that if our hero used his next 3 shots to target the attacker's groin, he will go down.
Can you imagine a bullet of any size coming into contact with your pelvic bone at close to 1,000 feet per second? Or, ya know, the (gulp) other part that is also located there which is very, very fragile?
Either way, if the perp doesn't have a protected groin (from a bullet proof plate which would you would be able to see), a few rounds to that area should suffice to do a couple of different things:
1. He will likely be in so much pain that he'll forget all about the person who just shot him.
2. He won't be having kids any time soon. Which is good, because we don't any more fools like him running around shooting up movie theaters.
Do you agree with me? Or, are you a head shot taker?