The Beagle Express

Train to Survive

Reader Skinner reports that the worst victim injury in the Tacoma mall shooting has a bullet lodged in his spine. Apparently he was legally carrying a gun that he was trying to get into action when he was hit.

Most states that have allowed citizens to be licensed to carry a concealed handgun also require training. Usually the training is targeted toward the individual that has no knowledge of firearms. The requirements of training vary from state to state. Here in Ohio they teach how a handgun works, some legal aspects, and the student must demonstrate (live fire) that he/she can handle the weapon safely. This is very basic training that doesn’t teach the student how to survive the unfortunate situation if it should occur.

Naturally I don’t have the details of the Tacoma mall shooting, but surviving such an event requires more than the basic training required to get the license. The first order of business is to survive; the second is to stop the goblin. To survive you must be moving, so run or dive for hard cover. If you can draw and shoot on the move, great, but keep moving out of the line of fire. It’s suicide to just stand there and try to out draw someone who already has a gun in his hand.

If you carry a gun, get as much training as you can, and practice what you’ve learned. The basics of most concealed carry courses just aren’t enough to survive a gunfight.

UPDATE

Victim Drew Gun Before Being Shot
Shooting victim at mall drew gun

The most important part of training and concealed carry is mental. If you have to draw your gun to save a life, don't hesitate, shoot and keep shooting until the goblin is stopped.