Mass Shootings Stopped by Armed Citizens
El Paso, TX: Armed citizen shoots mall shooter as he targets bystanders
This one is borderline as I normally do not include battles between teen gangs, as this appears to be. However, I am including it because the perp was shot as he targeted innocent bystanders.
Story here.
Detroit, MI: Armed bystander fires at attacker stopping attack on 4th victim after 3 killed in spree
Story here.
Bystander shoots, kills person with short-barreled shotgun who threatened to 'shoot crowd up', West Palm Beach, FL
Woman with Pistol Stops Attacker Firing AR-15 at Grad Party in Charleston WV
22-year-old Handgunner with No Permit Stops AR-15 Armed Mall Attacker in Greenwood Indiana
- Hero Eli Dicken: Constitutional Carry, no permit and no formal statutory training (taught by his grandfather)
- Attacker killed two, injured three
- Would have killed a lot more but within 15 seconds hero Eli Dicken responded with handgun from a distance of 40 yards, hitting attacker with 8 of 10 shots
- My summary here.
Stories here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Mass Shooting at OR Racial Justice Demonstration
Syracuse NY Property Manager Stops Man Firing at Crowd
DA says lives were saved.
Story here.
Woman Crashes Car Then Shoots at Neighbors Coming To Rescue in San Antonio TX
Fort Myers FL Bystander Stops Felon Shooting into Crowd
Story here.
Citizen Sets Up Scoped Rifle, Shoots Grandma Killer Terrorizing Arkansas Apartment Complex
Story here.
Arvada CO Good Samaritan Engages Mass Shooter, Then Gets Shot and Killed by Police
Dallas TX Sports Bar
Shooter turned away because bar full. Returned to make it less full, injured four. Armed patrons returned fire, shooter at large.
Story here.
Metairie LA Gun Store Mass Attack
Walmart in Weslaco TX
Man upset over medical condition walks into store dressed in black, carrying AK-47.
Armed citizen holds him at gunpoint until police arrive. But he had another gun on him and tried to use that on responding police, who shot him dead.
Story here.
Bystanders Stop Shooter Firing Into Crowd at Louisville KY Park Protest
Story here.
Graphic Video: Texas Church Members Use Pistols to Stop Long Gunner
Story here.
Armed Citizen Stops Mass Ambush of Police Officers in Kwethluk AK
Newnan GA Bar Attack
Kroger store in Jeffersontown, Louisville, KY
"Back to School" peace rally, Titusville, FL
Armed Pastor Stops Mass Shooter/Carjacker at Walmart in Tumwater WA
Louie's Grill & Bar at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City
Schlenker Automotive, Rockledge, FL
Attacker had no connection with business, didn’t even own a car. Killed one, wounded another in parking lot, continued shooting inside. Two armed workers stopped the attack, police called them good samaritans and said attack could have been worse as business was packed with people.
First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas
Hero NRA instructor Stephen Willeford used his AR-15 to stop the attack, which killed 26 but could have been much worse.
See here.
Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch, TN
Gas station, Clearlake Oaks, CA
Shot up several homes and several gas stations. Armed citizen responded at first gas station, causing him to break off attack.
Story here.
Townville Elementary School, South Carolina
Armed citizen restrained shooter until olice arrived. 2 killed, 3 injured.
Story here.
Playoffz nightclub in Spartanburg County, SC
Another nightclub, a couple weeks after Orlando massacre. Unlike Florida, South Carolina allowed concealed handguns in bars. So killer was shot before he could shoot a fourth person.
Story here.
Magnet Bottle Shop, Conyers, GA
Sheriff says armed citizen saved lives. 2 killed.
Story here.
Uber driver, Chicago
Driver shot man firing on group of people on Logan Square sidewalk.
Story here.
Falah Barber Shop, Philadelphia
Man outside heard gunfire and ran into barber shop to stop shooter with one shot to chest.
Story here.
Armed Doctor Saves Lives at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, Darby, PA
One killed, but shooter had lots of ammo. Police say armed doctor saved lives.
Story here.
Party in West Pullman, Chicago
Man upset about drink being thrown out decides to open fire on group of four people in two cars. One armed citizen responds, hitting main attacker, though there were two other shooters who kept firing as the two cars drove away. One woman was injured.
Story here.
Mystic Gentlemen's Club, Portland, OR
Bonnie’s Food and Spirits, Plymouth, PA
Texas Armed Citizen Vic Stacy Makes Long Shot with Revolver, Three Times Further Than Cop with AR-15 Engaging Killer
Story here.
Santa Clara CA Range / Gun Store
Shot at store ceiling, herded employees into alley. One employee had a concealed handgun and fired when attacker looked away.
Story here. Some confusion as to whether this occurred in 2012 or 1999.
Salt Lake City Smith's Grocery Mass Stabbing
Not a mass shooting but same idea. Purchased a knife at store and started using as weapon, seriously injuring two people.
Fire-armed citizen stopped it.
Story here.
New Destiny Church, Aurora, CO
One killed, then shooter was stopped by nephew of lady killed.
Story here.
Boiling Springs’ South Side Freewill Baptist Church, Spartanburg, SC
Pastor’s grandson saw man grabbing shotgun from car. Man entered church and aimed at pastor and congregation. Grandson was armed and held shotgunner at gunpoint while two other church members held him on floor and pastor took shotgun.
Story here.
Golden Food Market, Richmond, VA
Amazing story. Read it:
Story here.
Birthday party, College Park apartment, Atlanta
Bailey said he thought it was the end of his life and the lives of the 10 people inside his apartment for a birthday party after two masked men with guns burst in through a patio door.
“They just came in and separated the men from the women and said, ‘Give me your wallets and cell phones,’” said George Williams of the College Park Police Department.
Bailey said the gunmen started counting bullets. “The other guy asked how many (bullets) he had. He said he had enough,” said Bailey.
That’s when one student grabbed a gun out of a backpack and shot at the invader who was watching the men. The gunman ran out of the apartment. . . .
Story here.
Players Bar & Grill in Winnemucca NV
Shooter kills two, reloads, begins shooting again, then is stopped by armed patron.
Story here.
New Life Church, Colorado Springs, CO
An older case of woman with handgun stops man with AR:
Security guard Jeanne Assam stopped attacker after he killed two teenage sisters at the church. A few hours earlier, he had killed a young couple at another church youth center.
Story here.
Armed Citizen Stops Grocery Employee Who Stabbed Eight Co-Workers in Memphis TN
Story here.
Appalachian Law School Attack in Grundy VA
Armed students subdued attacker after he killed dean, professor, and one female student, and wounded three others.
Story here.
Jack’s Bait Shop in North Naples, FL
Story here.
North Vegas Walmart
Clackamas Mall, Portland, OR
Armed citizen may have caused mall attacker to commit suicide merely by displaying his gun.
Story here.
Tacoma Mall Shooting
Armed citizen exchanged gunfire, gave others time to escape.
Story here.
Pearl High School, MS
Asst Principal Joel Myrick saw shooter aiming deer rifle at students and pulling the trigger. Myrick ran out to his pickup to grab his 45 pistol and then was able to subdue the attacker, forcing him out of his mom’s car and stopping him from continuing his attack at the nearby junior high.
Story here.
School Prom Attack in Edinboro PA
Prom chaperone fatally shot in head, another teacher and two students wounded. Hall owner chased after shooter with shotgun and held him at gunpoint for police.
Story here.
See also Dr John Lott’s page here for background facts if story link is dead, or for recent incidents I may have not yet added, or incidents I decided to omit. Dr Lott’s page includes a few incidents I would not consider true mass shootings (or knifings, whatever) because for example they arose from a private dispute and did not indicate intent to kill as many people as possible, and a few appear not to meet the FBI standard of four shootings, although that standard may have changed over time. Of course it is helpful to track all such incidents, but I am trying to limit this list to what we normally think of as a mass attack. Also, I am including only US incidents. There are plenty of cases in other countries such as Israel, see for example, and another example here, involving armed civilians stopping mass terrorist attacks.
– DRD