[OldDeckHand]

"Guns are NOT illegal in Britain"

Mhmmm. That must be why the assailant was shot dead by the dozens of people who were in lawful possession of concealed handguns, right? Or, did the old boy just take his own life?

Spare me your British sanctimony. This incident, just like the similar incidents in America, was only "successful" because it transpired in a "gun free zone".

About a year ago, a man tried to shoot up a Jewish museum in DC. What stopped him? An armed security guard. If you shooter had been confronted by someone who was armed themselves, perhaps no one would have died, to say nothing of the 12 who sadly have.

[Vanders9]

And YOU can spare me your Yankee arrogance. This incident was NOT "successful" because it transpired in a gun free zone, as you would know if you'd bothered to read the artile instead of jumping on the "right to bear arms" bandwagon. It was "successful" because it was unexpected. Whitehaven is a small town in a very rural county which does not see much violence. The guy is driving down small rural roads taking shots at random at passersby. How is a concealed handgun going to stop something like that? When you walk along the street do you expect a middle-aged man in a taxi to suddenly pull up and shoot you, for no readily apparent reason? Do you walk around with your hand on your "concealed weapon" just in case? Or are you Billy the Kid and going to "beat him to the draw"?

Armed citizens can be effective against terrorists, and people intent on criminal acts, but not much works on crazies.

[UKrepublican]

Because in every US mass shooting the suspect is shot dead by the millions of armed Americans?

Oh right the stupity of such a statement is in the name ‘mass shooting’.

[the scotsman]

The British have never been a gun owning populace.