Nine Bystanders Shot

Nine bystanders shot.  As a person who is serious about learning about guns and competes in IDPA competitions I was appalled that nine people were wounded when two police officers shot a murder suspect. These were the things that immediately went through my head:

Were these police people trained correctly?  I know from my training at IDPA that it is damn hard to hit a paper or steel target when you are under pressure and required to react quickly.  It has to be even harder to hit a live target.

What type of continual practice are the NYC policeman required to do?  For two months I was in Ohio and Michigan visiting my wonderful and perfect grandchildren, I had shot my gun, but it was recreational shooting with them.  When I came back to the competition that RGV Shooters host every Thursday, I shot really badly.  I was off my game after two months of enjoying grandkids.

Practice is expensive.  After that embarrassing competition, I went to the outdoor range and, with my  Smith and Wesson M&P 22 which is my practice version of my competition 9MM S&W M&P.  For an hour and almost $15.00 in ammo, practiced target shooting to get my timing and quick sight back.  I then practiced with my 9mm and $25.00 in ammo practiced holding the gun steady after the recoil to make sure my sights did not leave the target.  It is very easy to allow the recoil to push your hand up forcing you to chop the next shot which makes you have to aim again and risk a jam as well as eat up precious seconds.

OK, I am going to stop here.  More and more information is coming in from the press about what happened and I am finding more information  about the training and re-certifications of NYPD police persons.

During a faculty training today two of the faculty persons were from Criminal Justice.  I asked both what they thought about the stray rounds that hit the bystanders.  One fudged around with politically correct non committal comments.  The other said, "I always first side with the police and then wait for the information to come in before I form an opinion."

What I learned from a shooting here in my town is that  in a case of a police person shooting a middle school student carrying a gun in school and threatening others is that not all the facts are known by the press or civilians nor are the police going to give them out.  The police keep the facts confidential until the investigation is complete.

In this case two policeman shot a gun toting student.  Immediately after they shot dead the student they found that he had a toy gun.  This was the only thing the press had to play with.  When the report came out, it was found that the student had aimed the toy gun at another student.  The student told everyone it was a real gun and from this distance, there was no way the police could see it was a toy.  In the report it was revealed that the gun toting student aimed the gun at another student and the police fired.  The police did what they had to do.

So, two things to learn from this:

1.  Wait for your judgement until the police report comes out.  This type of thing is just too juicy for the press to let go.  Every Nancy Grace and sensationalists like her are going to have an emotional heyday playing this up to boost ratings.  Everyone will have an opinion on this even if she or others have no facts in hand.

2.  If you think that a concealed handgun is going to make you a hero that is bad thinking.  What if it had been a civilian with no advanced or tactical training who fired on the NYC gunman and had shot innocent bystanders?   The legal fees alone would make one shutter.

Carrying a gun comes with more responsibility than one can imagine as they pay for their first gun.