Second Amendment protection: Legally armed citizens stop more shootings than police

Can a good citizen with a gun stop a shooting? The question is at the heart of the debate over the Second Amendment, which guarantees the "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms."

Some cases where the question found a positive answer are nationally known, such as that of Elisjsha Dicken, a 20-year-old who prevented a massacre in Indiana. Those who advocate for more controls on gun ownership, however, claim these are isolated incidents. The "Good Samaritan" Dicken, as he became known, would then, as in the parable, be a unique case.

A new study by the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) based on cases reported by the press across the country seeks to disprove this argument. In areas where guns are allowed to be carried, ordinary Americans stopped more shootings and with fewer mistakes than police.

'Good citizens' vs. uniformed agents

Between 2014 and 2023, armed citizens stopped 180 of 515 active shootings. Considering only areas where carrying guns is allowed, the figure stood at 158 incidents out of 307. That is, in those areas, licensed citizens thwarted more than 51.5% of the attacks. The other 44.6% were stopped by police.

The CPRC elaborates on that comparison: officers were almost six times more likely to die in the attacks and 17 times more likely to be injured.

"Police officers are often at a disadvantage because their uniforms make them obvious targets, while civilians can stop an attacker before being noticed," explained John R. Lott, Jr. president of the CPRC, in a piece for The Federalist. "Civilians don’t succeed in stopping every active shooter situation, but the alternative isn’t perfection."

The incidents that were studied also reveal that civilians injured fewer innocent people. In fact, in their nearly 200 successful interventions, they injured just one. In contrast, police bullets accidentally struck bystanders on four occasions, killing two officers and injuring two civilians.

Those figures call into question one of the main concerns of those arguing for more controls on gun carry: lacking officer training, armed citizens would pose a greater risk to their peers. Another argument often posited from the same camp is that citizens hinder the professional work of law enforcement. The study points out the opposite: in no case did an armed citizen interfere with the work of the police.

Avoiding mass shootings

Enraged by his unfortunate night, Angel Alamo-Contreras exited the Gold Nugget nightclub in Panama City, Fla., went to his car, grabbed a gun and began firing recklessly into the venue. Another patron, Glen Kippel, 29, a licensed gun owner, returned fire, wounding and killing Alamo-Contreras. Several customers and employees were inside the establishment.

Occurring in early 2023, that is one of the attacks recorded by the CPRC in which an armed citizen prevented what could have turned into a massacre. In total, it reported 57 other similar cases.

"These findings highlight a reality that is often ignored: responsible gun owners save lives," commented Lott Jr. on the report's findings. "Concealed handgun permit holders aren’t reckless vigilantes, but they are law-abiding citizens who step up in moments of crisis when seconds matter and police are minutes away."

Of those nearly 60 of massacres averted, official FBI data ignored more than half. Some 36 incidents that are part of the more than 126 active shootings that are not included in the official count.

The data problem

While the CPRC reported that armed citizens stopped 35% of the shootings as they were happening, the FBI held them accountable for only 4%. Why the wide gap? The organization offers two explanations: misclassified or simply ignored incidents.

In one case, for example, the agency reportedly listed a man, Jack Wilson, who killed an assailant at a church in Texas, as security personnel. Contacted by the CPRC, Wilson claimed to be a parishioner who had voluntarily defended his community.

As for episodes recorded by the press but not the FBI, the researchers note that while the former source may serve to challenge and amend official records, it is also not infallible: "There is no reason to think that the news media covers all the cases where civilians stopped attacks."

The total number of tragedies averted by armed citizens thus remains elusive. Although, at least another 28 cases could be added to this tally. The CPRC noted them but excluded them from the final report because the shooter was stopped before being able to pull the trigger.