Posted on 12/15/2012 12:30:31 PM PST by marktwain
PORTLAND, Ore ... Nick Meli is emotionally drained. The 22-year-old was at Clackamas Town Center with a friend and her baby when a masked man opened fire.
"I heard three shots and turned and looked at Casey and said, 'are you serious?'"
The friend and baby hit the floor. Meli, who has a concealed carry permit, positioned himself behind a pillar.
"He was working on his rifle," said Meli. "He kept pulling the charging handle and hitting the side."
The break in gunfire allowed Meli to pull out his own gun, but he never took his eyes off the shooter.
"As I was going down to pull I saw someone in the back of the charlotte move and I knew if I fired and missed I could hit them."
Meli took cover inside a nearby store. He never pulled the trigger. He stands by that decision.
"I'm not beating myself up cause I didn't shoot him," said Meli. "I know after he saw me I think the last shot he fired was the one he used on himself."
(Excerpt) Read more at nwcn.com ...
I think that is what the Culture of Death finds most appalling.
This is the first report of a concealed weapon carrier confronting this mall shooter. I’m betting there will be more. Spent pistol casings were found at the mall and the shooter didn’t have a pistol. Was the shooter wounded by pistol fire before he took his own life?
First I’ve heard of this. So is the mall a gun free zone or not? If it is, maybe he should have kept quiet about it.
“I know after he saw me I think the last shot he fired was the one he used on himself.”
Now if we could only convince the crazies and criminals to make that one the first shot...
He should not have kept quiet about it. Other people saw him and then we would suffer for the next 10 years people posting conspiracy theories about the “second Clackamas shooter.”
They won’t charge him - it’s up to the property owner because they set the policy and it’s private property.
Gun jam could be as a result of the weapon being struck by a round. In addition, the death may also be as a result of someone taking the guy out.
What bothers me about this, is that there seems to be a mindset by law enforcement that nobody else is qualified to use lethal force but them.
Did someone witness him shoot himself, or is that just the operational explanation at this point?
This may be common knowledge, and so I may be off base.
I’m willing to bet that the last shot he fired WAS the one he used on himself. Any takers?
LOL, it would be the last.
I thought malls were gun-free zones,,,
*
Ask Vince Foster.
The police radio chatter that night included references to a CCL and may have mentioned this guy’s name and even spelled out his surname for the command post. I heard it through a scanner app on my phone.
What that says is that just the thought of armed resistance can stop some of these raging loons. Also kudos to this 22 yr old for having the discipline and presence of mind to not shoot because he couldn't be certain of the backstop.
A scanner app !!
Tell me more please.
I had a friend who committed suicide. He shot himself in the head twice with a .22 rifle. Ate the gun. First shot didn't finish him. He pulled the trigger a second time.
If I ever again have to defend myself, I won't count on a single head shot doing the job.
There were pistol shell casings and the shooter had a rifle? Makes me wonder how many other suicide/killers have a little help making that decision.
I had one on my android phone. I would assume there is an iphone app as well.
What bothers me about this, is that there seems to be a mindset by law enforcement that nobody else is qualified to use lethal force but them.
I don’t believe this is true based on my experiences in law enforcement and I was one of the firearms instructors that set up the active shooter training for a 300+ officer department.
I think the major concern for law enforcement is having non-uniformed folks - either CCW civilians or detectives/off-duty LEO’s on scene with firearms drawn. I always worried I would shoot the wrong person (like the federal agent killed by the retired cop in NY wrestling with a robber) or get shot by another officer or armed civilian when I responded.
I am all for CCW and I have never had any misconceptions about my ability to protect everyone. I believe everyone has a God-given right to protect themselves.
However, I get tired of people blindly spouting off that one person with a CCW could stop anything without collateral damage. Critical incidents involving firearms are a tricky business for both law enforcement and military and making a 50ft shot with a handgun in a crowded mall is not as easy as the arm-chair Rambo’s claim.
If you think I am full of crap just ask Ayoob or one of the senior trainers at the Gunsite Academy. They will say the same thing.
If the story is true about the guy at the Clackamas mall shooting who did not take the shot I give him kudos. It is possible he influenced or impacted the thinking of the shooter by simply assuming a good tactical position while recognizing his own limitations. Had the shooter continued this gentleman gave himself a tactical edge (and a stable platform) from which to engage and that demonstrates an excellent mental foundation for concealed carry.
I teach my civilian classes and LEO’s that pulling the firearm out is the easy part.... putting rounds on target with adrenaline pumping through your mind and body is the hard part. The difficulty is multiplied in a crowd with panicked people. I know guys who were expert shots on the range that could not shoot for crap when it counted. I saw officers that were not all that great on the range that were cold as ice and did not miss when it counted. You never know.... it’s tricky business and I agree with the best trainers out there - mental conditioning is the most important thing.
The video of Columbine showed how chaotic the situation can be and you would have needed to be very close to the shooters to engage because there were students running all over the place. Most of their shots were at close range against targets that froze or tried to hide in plain view. You would have needed to advance on the shooters and likely draw their attention - you would worry about shooting a kid trying to run away in your field of fire - they did not give a damn. They had the advantage.
Just food for thought. Active shooting against an armed opponent requires many working parts under extreme duress. It is easy for someone to write one sentence differing with what I just wrote, but I bet they have either not experienced it or given it half the thought they should.
I would urge anyone to be prepared to protect themselves, but never think simply having a firearm or access to a firearm will do the trick. Conditioning and practicing is just as important as carrying.
Great, informative and interesting post. Thank you.
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