The FBI’s new active-shooter report has a surprise
Op-ed recap: Dave Bovee in Blaze Media.
In an opinion piece for Blaze Media, Dave Bovee examines civilian intervention during active-shooter incidents. His focus is the time between an attack beginning and police arriving, and the decisions made by people already at the scene.
The column draws on the FBI’s reporting and accounts of people who confronted attackers. Bovee discusses both armed and unarmed responses, along with his interview with Stephen Willeford about the attack in Sutherland Springs, Texas. He uses that conversation to explore how timing changes the choices available to someone facing immediate danger.
You are your own first responder.
Bovee argues that reporting on these incidents should include the role civilians play before officers can respond. He also acknowledges that carrying a firearm does not guarantee a wise or successful response. The piece presents his view of the connection between personal responsibility, public safety, and the Second Amendment, with links to the report and cases behind his argument.