[Travis McGee]

Your question really covers a lot of ground. First, your relative position to the shooter, and any cover in between, will be all important. Is his back or front toward you? What is the range? Are there bystanders in between you, or behind the shooter? Your possible shooting response will depend on all of these factors.

That said, I don’t think it’s wise for a CCW shooter to go trotting down a mall corridor, while shots are ringing out, with drawn weapon visible in hand. Too much chance of being dinged by an off-duty cop or another CCW shooter. I’d save the draw until later, while working to a position of advantage. If you can, utilize cover and concealment (kiosks, mall displays, furniture, shop doorways) while moving toward the active shooter. You must get close enough to make an assessment. If the guy is blasting away at victims and shooting them down, you may decide to give him the bum’s rush, even if it means moving from cover, while you draw and begin to shoot.

But if he’s cornered somewhere and firing to no effect, then try to find a position with cover where you can pin him in place if he moves to another position.

Really, so much depends on the unique situation, that it’s hard to say, “Do this or that.” We’d all prefer to line up a nice sight picture on the active shooter’s back, while his attention was elsewhere. But it probably won’t happen that way.

[Larry Lucido]

Well said.

[Ramius]

Some good stuff there, Travis.

You make a good point, about keeping the weapon out of sight except when you’re actively using it. But is that realistic? If I’ve taken a couple of shots at a shooter, presuming without effect... and he’s moving, so I have to move and seek some other cover.... is it really going to occur to me to re-holster and conceal my weapon?

When he cops come in... do we just then give the situation over to them? I suppose we do. But still there’s the part about not getting shot.

[SoldierDad]

I concur with your suggestions.

[ajwharton]

T,

Good sound advice. Myself? I am getting me and mine the heck outta there and keep on truckin’. I wish that I was bulletproof, so then I could be the hero that I want to be without the chance of my son losing his father.

[archy]

Really, so much depends on the unique situation, that it’s hard to say, “Do this or that.” We’d all prefer to line up a nice sight picture on the active shooter’s back, while his attention was elsewhere. But it probably won’t happen that way.

See FReeppost and response thread HERE, in particular this charming response.