We Need More Heroes Like Colorado Springs Security Guard
59
More armed guards might equal less tragedies
The as of yet unnamed volunteer security guard from Colorado Springs most definitely has saved many, many lives. The only armed security guard at the New Life Church was the only person who stood between a well armed attacker, and a flock of innocent civilians. The shooter, Matthew Murray (24) of Colorado Springs, had already killed four and wounded five as this was his second attack on Sunday. Murray also was very heavily armed, stocked up with much ammunition, and also went through the trouble of procuring a smoke grenade and using it to try and funnel the crowd to his killing zone. If the armed security guard had not stopped him, it would have been a massacre.
Despite how chillingly common it seems a random gunman takes out their anger at public innocent crowds, I think this story is one we should try to learn as much as we can from. Imagine how many lives could have been saved in the past if we had more armed guards at our universities, schools, and malls. I don't want everyone running around with guns, as the U.S. could quickly become the Wild Wild West, but I believe we should have much more of an armed presence with well trained security guards in public areas. Just having the guards armed will deter many of these "Columbine-like assaults". Also, like today, just one guard can make a huge difference. Imagine a few armed guards at Columbine High School. I can't say with certainty that they would have stopped the 2 gunmen, but there is a very good chance they would have, and if not, at least saved some more lives. The same with the Virginia Tech shooting. I hate when I hear on the news how these gunmen calmly reload their guns as everyone cowers for cover. These gunmen have no fear of retribution so they kill at random with no fear, stopping only to reload. A few well trained security guards won't always stop these crazed gunmen, but it will make it much more difficult to stand there and kill dozens of innocent people. It would be nice to hear more stories like Colorado Springs in the future as opposed to Virginia Tech, Columbine, and al the others.
CommentsLoading...
I am surprised they haven't released his/her name yet. Although I think on one report I saw they said it was a female guard and a volunteer at that.
Great HUB!
There sure are some brave people in this world. Hats off to them in a salute...
regards Zsuzsy
The woman, Jeanne Assam, was a licensed security guard. You can't have trained security everywhere, but we certainly need more. Unfortunately, when President Clinton tried to help beef up police departments around the country he ran into lots of opposition.
She is most certainly a hero. I've heard she was "volunteer" and "licensed"....I don't know, but she has this citizens greatest thanks and admiration. To put herself in the line of fire between a shooter and his helpless victims takes the greatest courage and commitment, and it's just awe inspiring and heartwarming. I must disagree with beliefs that it's only a "liscensee" or a "professional" who has the authority to take out a crazed gunman. I wholeheartedly believe that if students had had the right to carry firearms on the day of the VT massacre, the deathtoll would have been significantly less. That right was taken away the beginning of schoolyear 2006, if what i heard is correct. But what I do know is correct was that an armed student shot and stopped a crazed gunman at a VA law school just a year or two prior to the VT massacre. Total dead in that event was limited to 2 or 3.
May the wings of liberty never lose a feather!
It is a tricky question, how many should we allow to bear arms legally. I definitely think a criminal will think twice before robbing someone if he knows its legal for that civilian to be armed. Strict gun laws really do nothing to stop criminals from getting guns until its too late.
But Assam definitely is a great American hero, if he gets passed her I believe there was about 7,000 unarmed people behind her in the church.
utterly utterly amazing, this woman Assam.
The tricky question should not be how many we allow to arm (ie everyone should be armed, i'll get to that later).....but by what criteria do you keep arms out of the hands of a lunatic. They don't become lunatics until AFTER the shots have been fired! And it's not just handguns, it's: a-automobiles, b-bombs c-... just go down the alphabet. A determined crazed killer is going to find a way.
Back to everyone should be armed. My argument is this, unless the police can guarantee my safety in all respects, I reserve the right to defend myself and my familys' right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Period.
I pray for Jeanne Assam tonight. She more than likely will have shooter's remorse, but it would be most undeservedly so. I'll pray she is quickly granted peace in her heart that her actions were sound, prudent, selfless and heroic.
It's a tricky question, indeed. I would not feel safe if I knew there were all kinds of people carrying concealed weapons willy nilly. A fight breaks out over some dumb thing and guns are drawn everywhere! I read a report that says Assam shot the gunman, but the fatal blow was by his own hand. She certainly is a hero, but future incidents may not turn out so well. I don't want anyone carrying a gun unless they are determined to be intelligent, stable and have some training.
And we need more undocumented immigrants like the Mexican near Tucson who saved the life of a child whose mother had been killed in a car accident at the price of being deported.
Increased Security is not the answer LOL, that only invites innovation. We can prevent people from going on shooting spress with the proper application of education, kindness, sharing and love. Trust me I know because I myself am a former Potential Shooter :)
Anyone that claims modern day tragedies cannot be prevented is a LIAR
William says:
It's a tricky question, indeed. I would not feel safe if I knew there were all kinds of people carrying concealed weapons willy nilly.
Jack Answers:
You must feel pretty uncomfortable then, unless you live and stay in Illinois or Wisconsin. Virtually all other states allow just what you say you feel "niot safe" about. My town has about 20 percent of the adult residents with a license to freely and willy nilly carry a handgun and I feel much, much more "safe" than I do in the south side of Chicago where ALL guns are supposed to be banned -- which means only the bad guys have them.
William Says:..
A fight breaks out over some dumb thing and guns are drawn everywhere!
Jack Responds:
I hope you don't spend much time in Las Vegas if you're willing to bet such a poor hand.
Florida, the first state to pass the new wave of CCW laws about 30 years ago keeps a very close view on those same people. Their experience over the past years: Crime rates involving CCW holders has held steady at about 0.02 percent.
Now, that's any kind of crime including cheating on income taxes, which has nothing to do with a gun.
And 0.02 percent translates out to 2 people out of ten thousand. Not exactly the crime wave you are concerned about, eh?
Actually, out of the half million or so that Florida has issued they have cancelled 109. Virgina has issued about 50,000 and have cancelled none. Arizona has issued about 63,000 and has cancelled none. Of course, since those reports came out they may have cancelled a few, but everyone gets the picture.
In Oregon only 4 people out of 14,000 (0.03 percent) have been convicted of a crime with a gun. In Texas out of a quarter million CCW holders only 100 have been found guilty of a felony (not even necessarily with a gun). Again, that is only 1 people out of every 2500 CCW holders.
And in a column by Stephen Chapman of the Chicago Tribune he wrote:
Indiana, which has about 350,000 permit holders, canceled 921 last year, or about one-fourth of 1 percent of the total. Maj. Karen Butts, commander of the records division of the state police, says, "I can't think of any that were revoked for a firearms homicide." Among Utah's 40,000 licensees, only five have lost their privileges because of a conviction for murder or attempted murder.
BTW... all this can be found in the free download Gun Facts at http://www.gunfacts.info.
If you're truely interested in getting the facts instead of hysterical info this is the place to go.
William Says:
I read a report that says Assam shot the gunman, but the fatal blow was by his own hand.
Jack Responds:
This is true. She stopped him with several shots and when he apparently saw that he failed in his mission to kill even more innocents he pulled the trigger on himself.
William Says:
She certainly is a hero, but future incidents may not turn out so well. I don't want anyone carrying a gun unless they are determined to be intelligent, stable and have some training.
Jack Responds:
Well, perhaps you can explain why Indiana has almost 400,000 CCW holders with NO requiresments for training, testing, or qualifications of any kind except being a basic lawabiding adult and yet we don't have those problems that you're worried about. When you get around to understanding that then we can have a real discussion. But right now you're just emoting, instead of reasoning from facts.
In many states that allow CCW they have laws against carrying in churches. Here's my response to that:
I can easily see both sides of the gun control argument however based on personal experience, I have seen some of the strictest gun laws in the nation have very poor results in and around Chicago. I think with proper training and certification I would not mind having law abiding citizens having the right to carry in Illinois.
One person who intrigues me on this subject is author John Lott (More Guns, Less Crime). Here is a link to an interview done with him, some intersting information:
MrMarmalade 4 years ago
The way we hear it, it certainly sounds like he should be recognized