Would it be wise to rush the gunman?

Question

I mean no disrespect for what happened at VT. I am only asking to know how we can better the out come of situations like this in the future.

It seems to me that if 30 people would have rushed him that he wouldn't have been able to kill all 30 people.

Again, I am not "blaming the dead". I don't know if anyone tried to react, nor can I give a definite, "I would have rushed him."

I have stared down the barrel of a loaded gun as a man robbed a bus that I was on. He pointed his gun at me and said, "Get involved and I will put a bullet in you." As soon as I say his gun, I was waiting for any moment to attack him. But he wasn't firing it and in those brief moments I realized that rushing him could cause injury to myself or someone else on the bus.

I just ask myself, what would I do in that situation, and I would like to think that I would rush a gunman for myself and those around me. I would also hope that if I did that someone else would follow and then another, and another until the individual was stopped.

Answer 1

Collectively yes, but anyone acting alone, no. In the fact of danger it is hard to know what people are going to do.

Answer 2

I know I always ask the same question and I know my answer to that is a definate rush the gunman. Of, course I also have years of training and real world experience to back that up.

If you throw people into a situation like that instinct is what takes over. You can be the bravest person in the world but if you have never imagined the situation then you will not know how to act.

For this reason many people will do 2 things when confronted with a situation similiar to what happened at VT:

1)scream
2)duck or run

Only the people that have prepared for this and have done training of some level will actually be able to break their hold on fear and rush the gunman. I know it sounds easy but think of it this way. Guy has gun, you have nothing, you must rush 30 feet to take him out. By the time you run 30 feet he can shoot at least 10 times (with rapid firing). Does it sound easy now?

To have 30 people rushing him would never happen because of the instinct factor. Another case in point is 9/11 and Flight 93. First reaction of the passengers on the flight was to to as they were told by the terrorists. As they got their fear level down and began to think they made a plan to attack the hijackers and try to save the plane. The young men and women in the dorm and engineering building did not have that amount of time to think.

Hopefully this fully answers your question.

Answer 3

One never knows until he or she is faced with such a situation what will happen.

If there was a chance that 5 or more students had rushed this specific gunman, the odds that one or two would have tackled him would be high.

But would you want to be one of those who ended up shot in the process? That is why so many took the jump from the windows.

Answer 4

Let's see, you think you are in class to learn and all of a sudden you have some one in front of you shooting every one in sight. Not many people are trained to think of rushing a gunman in a split second decision. Our military is trained for this type of scenario, not college students.

Answer 5

It would work only if all 30 were on the same page. If they all got the memo, and agreed to do it, then yes - it would work.

But I highly doubt there was a dorm meeting about the shooting prior to it, so I am thinking the people were ducking for cover.

Answer 6

It would have took only one man to stop a person with handguns, going down a hall. And that would have required only 3 seconds at most. But college students are children not men. Cowards. Have you taught about the college student that they are branding as a hero. He was a coward and only baracaded himself in. With a few other in the room. Self perservasion does not make a hero.

Answer 7

If five people had rushed the gunman he could have been overpowered. No one knows for sure what they will do in such a situation.

Answer 8

True, and correct. Those people had nothing to lose and everything to gain just like the passengers on flight 93. Human nature though causes many people to freeze rather than collect themselves and come to that conclusion and act before they are all shot dead anyway.

Answer 9

Thats sounds easy to say, but in human nature no one, even myself will know what there going to do when staring at your possible death, and I've been in that situation in combat and I still wouldn't know the second time around. I think those folks did the best that they could with they had, especially the Isreali professor who gave his life to save his students.

Answer 10

Ok..I have read the previouse answeres... so far and I agree ...the kids didn't know what to do... the poor things must have totally freaked out...When I was 18 I was in the US Army and fully trained... I would have stayed and disarmed him.. and even if some one shoots at you--unless they are really good ..chances are. they will miss and if they do hit you it may not be fatel any ways.. Plus ... didn't anyone ever play dodge ball??Duhhh ... think about it..

Answer 11

Would it be wise to rush the gunman?


Only if you're certain he's going to shoot you anyway - and keep shooting until he's certain you're dead. Rushing a gunman is taking a huge risk. You can't second guess such heroism (or the lack of it).