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Mass Shootings Stopped by Armed Citizens

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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

Stories here, here.

Woman with Pistol Stops Attacker Firing AR-15 at Grad Party in Charleston WV

Stories here, here, here, here, here and here.

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

Homeowner fires at demonstrators with handgun, killing one woman and injuring four others.

Demonstrator responds with own handgun, shooting attacker in the hip.

Stories here and here.

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

Armed neighbor responds, ending attack.

Stories here and here.

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

Stories here, here, and here. This is the only known case of law enforcement shooting a responding armed citizen, although there are plenty of cases of law enforcement shooting bystanders.

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

Not the best place to go nuts. Both employees and customers returned fire.

Stories here and here.

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

Stories here and here. This is one of the few places law enforcement is not armed. Cross-listing with my list of armed citizens saving cops. This one is unique as he likely prevented a mass shooting of cops!

Walmart Parking Lot in Duncan OK

Stories here, here, and here.

Newnan GA Bar Attack

Police say employee saved multiple lives.

Stories here, here, here, here, and here.

Dental Office in Colonial Heights TN

Stories here, here, and here. Liberty teeth in good shape.

Kroger store in Jeffersontown, Louisville, KY

Media focused on fact that killer was racist, but not the fact that armed citizen who stopped him was white.

Story here, here, here.

McDonald's, Birmingham, AL

Story here, here.

"Back to School" peace rally, Titusville, FL

Good Samaritan quickly responded, police call him hero that saved multiple lives among the crowd of 200.

Story here, here, here.

Armed Pastor Stops Mass Shooter/Carjacker at Walmart in Tumwater WA

Multiple carjackings as well as shooting at store. Stopped by an armed pastor.

Stories here, here, and here.

Louie's Grill & Bar at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City

Two armed citizens called heros by police.

Story here, here, here, here, here, here, here.

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.

Story here, here, here.

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

Killed one in parking lot. Wounded 6 in church. Usher gets pistol whipped, bleeding from head goes out to car and returns as Armed Usher and holds attacker at gunpoint. Police called him hero.

Story here, here.

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.

Zona Caliente Sports Bar and Grill, Arlington, TX

Story here, here, here, 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

Shooter, upset at being ejected, returns 30 minutes later with gun and mask, shoots ejecting bouncer in head, also wounds patron and waitress, gets fatally shot by another bouncer.

Story here, here.

Bonnie’s Food and Spirits, Plymouth, PA

Attacker upset about being ejected, shoots several patrons, is stopped by armed citizen as he reapproaches bar.

Story here, here.

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.

Houston Memorial PTSD shooting

Story here, here.

North Vegas Walmart

Sick murderous couple kills two police officers, then armed citizen follows them into Walmart to stop them, where he is ambushed and killed, but the armed citizen bought time for others to escape.

Story here, here.

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 for example, involving armed civilians stopping mass terrorist attacks.

– DRD