“All he had was a shotgun”??? You think that if someone was holding you with “only” a shotgun that you would come out alive? The scumbag probably started killing the hostages as soon as the commotion began. Depending on the type of shells, at close range he could have easily killed several with one shot or several quick shots.
Besides that, the shotgun is the only weapon they KNEW he had, he may have had more.
If I were to be taken hostage and there was only one guy taking us hostage I would take the first opportunity to attack the jackass. Especially if he shot one of us. I would hope that once I made a move on him that my fellow hostages would join me. And unless he killed me during the fight he would most definitely NOT survive the incident.
It sounds like none of the hostages were carrying a concealed handgun. It’s such an amazing coincidence that these terrorist always seem to target places where nobody else carries a gun. It’s too bad one of the hostages wasn’t armed. Maybe the terrorist would be the only one dead.
A shotgun is by far the most deadly weapon in mass murders. And is by far the most devastating weapon known at close range.
A little known fact is that the deadliest weapon in the Aurora theater shootings was not the AR15. It was the 870 with the extended tube that he unleashed most of the hell with.
In WWI the Germans actually protested the doughboys use of 12 gauge Winchester trench guns firing buckshot as barbaric. They threatened to execute any soldier captured with one. Our generals responded that German prisoners would be executed if they proceeded with it. Its a matter of record.
Water cooled machine guns, caverns filled with explosives that blew up entire mountains, gas, artillery until it was moonscape, all were ok. But the lowly shotgun was over the line for them. Also another little known factoid or two. When going after dangerous game, the professional hunter in Africa often carries a 12 gauge in case he must save his client who has wounded the lion or some such.
And again, most of the settlers who went west in wagons did not have peacemakers, Winchesters, etc. The most common gun in the covered wagons was the shotgun.
A shotgun is truly horrifying if you understand its power. It just isn’t sexy.