Yet another incident shows just how much one person can make a difference in stopping an active shooter event.
On August 7th, a 32-year old legally-armed private citizen managed to thwart a 22-year old active shooter before he could cause harm to other people in West Palm Beach, Florida. The man was ready to shoot a short-barreled rifle on a fighting crowd when he was thwarted by the citizen. What’s more, the citizen, after thwarting the shooter, stayed on the scene and spoke with responding officers, keeping clear communication with them.
This is the latest incident in which a citizen has managed to take down an active shooter before doing harm to others – and it could very well open up an argument with the effectiveness of concealed-carry compared to the current initiative making the rounds in Washington, in which President Joe Biden is calling for the outright ban on assault weapons.
Speaking with us about this situation now is someone who brings experience to the situation, Stephen Willeford. Stephen serves as a spokesman for Gun Owners of America. In 2017, he also stopped the Sutherland Springs, Texas mass shooting, acting as the “good guy with a gun.” His expertise is certainly welcome in this matter.
Q&A:
- What do you think about the rise in concealed-carry citizens thwarting would-be active shooters?
- What motivates them to fight back, you think? Trying to protect others? An initiative to do the right thing? Or could it vary?
- What does this latest stopping of an active shooter say about the effectiveness of concealed-carry? Could we be seeing a stronger argument in arming more citizens?
- President Joe Biden seems to be driven in banning assault weapons as a whole instead of looking at concealed-carry. Do you think the lack of press for these heroic acts plays a part in his decision making? Should more press be covering stories like these?
- As someone who thwarted a shooting himself, what’s your perspective on people taking the law into their own hands? Apparently they’re not trying to rise above the police, as this hero was able to speak to officers calmly and effectively afterwards.
- Where can we learn more about you, as well as the Gun Owners of America?
- My official website is http://www.stephenwilleford.com. You can read more about the Gun Owners of America at https://www.gunowners.org/.
Stephen represents the Gun Owners of America and is known around the country as the “good guy with the gun” for helping stop the largest Texas mass shooting in the history of the state in 2017. He is available to speak about all 2nd Amendment issues, as well as the importance of the Gun Owners of America. You can read more about him at http://www.stephenwilleford.com.
CONTACT: Gerald McGlothlin at: jerry.specialguests@gmail.com
