My Mall Scenario :)

Haven't you ever left your wife in the mall and told her "I'll meet you at the other end in an hour"? All of a sudden it's a little more complicated, huh?
Click to expand...

No. We stay together, and we only go to the mall if we can't get what we need/want elsewhere. And even then we don't go to the one closest to our house due to the "gangstas" hanging out there all the time. My comment was meant to be funny, but the safety of my family is no joke. It is why my wife (a former gun hater), and I have our CCW's, and my family ALWAYS stays together at the mall, amusement park, grocery store, etc.
 
Yep, 1st call goes to the wife who is probably busy trying to buy out the scrapbook store at the other end of the mall. After I know she has exited through the back door of "Scrap-n-Crap" I'd seriously consider getting the AK out of the rig and going back to re-assess the situation (esp. if the guy headed back into the mall wasn't one of the BG's). Right or wrong I have had the misfortune of being a witness to 2 shootings and don't think I could leave those people to get mowed down by scum.
 
The mall closest to my house is in a very bad neighborhood. I too have been witness to a shoot-out, between PD and a gang. I have been present for 2 gang wars and also have seen a security guard beaten by a rather large shoplifter:eek: . Being such a pleasant place it is almost always crawling with local PD, plainclothes and uniform as well as a few on bicycles. It would probably mean my demise to get involved so unless my wife-who would also be armed-were at the other end of the mall or I somehow find myself in the thick of things, I would have to retreat and call 911, unless there were unattended children in the middle of it or something. I am level-headed and no coward, but I am no John Wayne either.
 
Pull out my gun, rack a round if it's not already ready to go, and take as many with me as I can. If i'm lucky i'll come out of it with having saved lives. If not, I just smile as I bleed to death knowing that at least i'll die with a good deed on my record.:cool:

...my life is boring, I think about noble deaths and selfless sacrifice everyday. I don't really have anything else to think about anyway.
 
Scenario posts while hated by many (including Glenn I thought) are fun and sometimes educational.

If my wife and child were at the other end and cellphone contact couldn't be made to insure their safety, I would have no choice but to engage the badguys. I would use cover and try to get whichever if any were by themselves. If successful I would get their longgun and finish the others. Odds are I would be dead in the end but better to be dead than to live with my family being killed.
 
I get 911 on the cell immediatley and look for an option to try and save some lives (Probably race up the escalator) and gain the high ground to take out as many as my 28 bullets (two 14 round mags) will allow me...I know this probably won't be the most popular anwser but the way my mind works is that could easily be my Mom or Wife or anyone in my family the sick bastards are shooting...And if you're carrying the possibility exists for you to make a difference...And as far as concern for myself of course it's there but you have MANY outs in a mall. Hell even if I was to stand out of sight and shoot straight up into the air that could quite possibly be enough to draw their attention away long enough for some people to get away..And if as I'm on my way out I see the long gun and I got any rounds left..He catches one too.

I would never try to stop a robbery or anything where no one is being hurt...But if people are being killed and you're at no tactical disadvantage(And I don't think being unseen by BG's with AR-15's is a disadvantage) I don't think I could just run away knowing innocent people are being murdered.
Why the hell am I carrying if I can't protect myself or help someone who can't help themselves....Just my .02 like I said I don't expect it to be a popular anwser but it's honest.
 
TM357,

But if people are being killed and you're at no tactical disadvantage I don't think I could just run away knowing innocent people are being murdered
Click to expand...

I'm not being a smarty pants but a handgun vs several ar-15 is a tactical disadvantage from the get go.

I do feel your compassion.
 
I think it's a disadvantage if you're seen...But not visible till after I fire I would try to intervene (Despite what would more than likely be serious consquences)
 
Grasshoppers, you are forgetting the subtle nature of the scenario.

If my family were in the mall, I'm not running out of Mervyn's and leaving the scene. What I actually do has too many branches at that point for a sure answer.

However, I have you outside seeing the AR dude.

If my family were at home, I watch AR dude run into the mall and then I am out of there.

The question is do you:

1. Flee - always a wise option but unleashes the great moral and/or I want to be hero debate. Altruism is complex.

2. Challenge AR dude and find out it is Doug. You may then say Adios to Doug flee or you might join his posse and CHARGE!

3. You might just immediately shoot AR dude - thus,
a. YOU KILLED DOUG - oops! Doug, have you left documentation so that your family, doesn't sue anybody who shoots you due to mistaken identity when you unlimber your AR in an urban fire fight?
b. You killed a terrorist - thus you are a hero.

Given the multicultural nature of society, if we all had ARs in the car and ran into the mall, there is no clear way to identify terrorists unless they are wearing signs. Quite the gun fight, wouldn't be?

Seriously, I see it as:

1. By yourself - flee and fight if you must to save yourself.
2. If family are there - try to get to them. One might avoid even obvious targets to get to them. Fight then if you must.

Hey, Delta Dave - nice seeing you yesterday - reading this one?
 
I can't stand the mall so when forced to go shopping by the lovely Mrs. Threegun, I sit while she walks. After I answered the question that you posed, I started thinking heck if I'm in the mall mamas somewhere in there with our boys. Pretty spooky. It would be spooky even if I had my AR much less a stinkin handgun.
 
Discretion is the better part of valor. Retreat if at all possible. Call 911 and tell them to send the cavalry. You do not have backup. You may be seen as a perp to responding officers. Fight like hell if you need to protect yourself or family and possibly others.
 
If my wife, children, or any innocents are involved...

Then it would require an armed response from me...

Is there any chance I will give a warning?

In this particular situation?

No, I would not...this to me would just be incentive for the BG's to find a new target... ME!

I think I would not be able to live with myself knowing I could have potentially saved a life of another and didn't....

This is MY personal view and IS NOT INTENDED TO OFFEND anyone...

I just beleive if fate finds you in a position to help another you should...
 
First thought would be find cover, if you ever spent time with an AR it is deadly accurate at the length of a mall and depending on what your carrying the chances of you getting off a clean shot at that distance and a hit is not as good as the guy nailing you with the AR. I don't think I would be running inside with a hand gun to address 1 more more guys with AR's

Depending on the situation I would probably address the guy in the parking lot.
 
If my wife and child were in the mall...

Then it would require an armed response from me...
Click to expand...

other than that...

1. Run

2. Run fast

3. Run fast, and hide

Dont try to be a hero in a situation that would lead to your death, unless you're putting it all on the line for your family or loved ones.
 
How do we address Doug vs. Looney Terrorist in the parking lot?

Do you yell:

Don't Move - Now are you a terrorist?

Why of course not, I am a loyal American (with an accent). Let's go in together. You go first (bang, bang, bang).

Now brave Doug sees you and hears your challenge. What does he do? Doug is charging in to save the world and you are challenging him. In the fog of battle, does Doug AR you tush into the dirt, ooopps!

This might be flame bait, but the literature is fairly clear that caucasian folks tend to overestimate the danger from minority folks. There are quite a few articles after the Diallo incident showing this. If you were a minority, I would opine that you are at significant risk if you try to intervene from the AR parking lot crowd. If you are part of the AR parking lot crowd, to you consider that your initial evaluation of someone else who might be wanting to intervene is subject to bias?

I was trying to focus on the specific interaction of interventionists as well as the issue of the overall strategy. In a FOF exercise, we had a team and then we were joined by a bystander good guy - confusing for a sec.

BTW, this again points out why FOF is quite different from matches or videos.
 
Glenn,
I only replied to this particular scenario because it's not really that far fetched. But let me say this before this thread gets shut down because I think it has run it's course.

I'm sure someone besides you has seen what's going on and has already called 911 and they are probably already on there way. Now if like threegun has added to the mix, my family were in that mall, there is no way on God's green earth that I'm NOT going back in there to find them. I will find a way inside and make an attempt to rescue them even if it costs me my life.

Riverrat66
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top