Omaha Killing Rage

[deltecs]

Well, here we go again.  Another killing spree by an unstable and depressed person.  Once again we have a place that only just enacted CCW in 2006.  Opponents of the legislation including the mayors of both Omaha and in the capital of Lincoln questioned why concealed carry should be enacted since Nebraska was the safest place and these towns were the safest large cities anywhere in the country.  With only a couple of years since CCW, not as many people applied since they felt there was not really a need in Nebraska for CCW.  Had the mayors of these towns supported the law, maybe one of those people in the mall may have had a chance to retaliate effectively by having a CCW on their person.  NY Times reports "The chief said the first call to 911 came at 1:43 p.m. local time, and the first officer arrived at the scene six minutes later. By the time the police descended on the mall in full force, the shooter had ended his rampage.

“It doesn’t appear there was an opportunity for mall security nor police officers to interrupt this incident,” he said."

So much for the safety of an unarmed society.  It is impossible to prevent the actions of individuals intent on kiling.  It is possible to minimize the effects of those perpetrators by the civil populace. 

[clodbuster]

In many states where concealed carry is legal there is a law that businesses can legally prevent guns from being carried into their place.  The little signs in the window are up in many stores or businesses.  "No firearms may be carried here." What good is ccw if you can't carry?   You can lose your permit if you violate the store's  order.  Looks like a very effective way to back door block ccw yet I never hear anyone complain about it. 

[Keith L]

We all have the right to set the rules for conduct in our property.  If it happens to be a business and they don't want ccw then they have the right to state that, and not allow people in if they don't respect the owner's wish.  Those who want to carry have the ultimate control:  they don't have to buy anything there.

[IOWA DON]

I've been in the Von Maur store where the 8 people were killed. Had concealed carry been allowed within the store, I doubt that a citizen would have taken out the killer before he did himself in. First, given the number of people inside the store versus the number of Nebraska permit holders it is unlikely there would have been a permit holder in the store. Second, given the number of permit holders versus the number of permit holders that regularly carry, the potential of a legal citizen being in the store and able to help is further reduced. Third, even if a legally armed person were in the store, a concealable pistol would be an inferior weapon to the killer's rifle in a gunfight, and some people inside the store saw the killer and only at the last moment realized he was not an innocent shopper. Being able to verify who the killer was and getting into a position to take him out further reduces the probability that someone could have taken him out before he did it himself. However, the "no weapons" sign on the outside of the store virtually guaranteed the killer that he would not have to face any armed people making it a "safe-zone" for him.