Jedidiah..your comments are the first I always think of in these situations. It’s the difference in “us” and “them”. My first thought was that if most everyone in the theater had been armed, the shooter would not have gotten off so many shots. His vest was “bullet resistant” according to the police chief...a .357 would have at least knocked him down then he could have been disarmed or killed.
Why libs think that people who don’t obey laws against murder are going to obey gun laws is something they cannot logically explain.
And a .380 or .38 special between the lights would have put him down, permanently. But a bunch of peripheral hits on arms and legs, would have also taken him out of action, long enough at any rate.