Scenario for thought exercise

[BehindBlueI's]

Here's a real life event to use as a thought exercise. Active case, so no details, but the following should be sufficient to set the stage. Makes you wonder about people sometimes.

1) You are alone with your children (both old enough to walk, neither old enough to physically resist).
2) One of your children is abruptly snatched up and has a handgun put to his/her neck. Distance from you, perhaps 2 yards.
3) A second suspect is providing overwatch from approximately 15 yards away, but has not shown a weapon.
4) First suspect demands money or will shoot the child.
5) Bystanders are unable or unwilling to get involved but are not in your back stop area if you decide to engage with a firearm from what you can see.

 

[nakinate]

Last time I was at the range I practiced shooting to the left of the silhouette head to simulate trying to shoot an attacker who has a hostage. I did fine, but I'm not sure i would be comfortable taking that shot in real life at the moment.

 

[parsimonious]

1) You are alone with your children (both old enough to walk, neither old enough to physically resist).

5) Bystanders are unable or unwilling to get involved but are not in your back stop area if you decide to engage with a firearm from what you can see.

?, in public?

 

[CathyInBlue]

Take the shot. It just might be surprising enough for the attackers to work.

Of course, I'm cool as a cucumber under pressure, so your emotional mileage may vary.

 

[chezuki]

What kind of handgun does the bad guy have? Revolver/Kel-Tec/DAO/finger off trigger I'd take the head shot at 2 yards without hesitation. Something single action or possibly light trigger with finger on trigger, the choice gets harder. I'm sure there are some twitches and muscle contractions that occur when lead enters the brain at high speed.

 

[Joe'Bronco]

This is more of a chest match as every action has a reaction. You flinch and he may pull the trigger. Just Hand over the wallet, just as he askes. The life of a child is not worth the money in my wallet. BUT the moment when he sets the child down to take the wallet, in my 1 second window of oppurtunity, i would put one between his eyes.

 

[dmarsh8]

Eegh! That's pretty tough. couldn't care less about giving up the wallet but,
if you try to draw on someone who already has a gun to YOUR CHILD'S head what makes you
so sure they won't pull the trigger, even if its negligent, since they are most likely untrained
and will prob have their finger on the trigger+adrenaline+in a hurry.
They are probably just going to be using the child for leverage and hope for no resistance from the parent
for the amount of risk involved but, you never know these days.
I think some cool headed negotiating after tossing over a wallet wouldn't be out of question but, if that's
all they want they are prob going to let the child go, grab the wallet and run.
Just like any scenario none play out the same. If you were able to draw and get on target and they are still
trying to talk crap, take em out if you have the shot.
.6) where would you toss the wallet?
.7) what if you seriously had no money on you or a wallet at that time and it escalates?

 

[chezuki]

This is more of a chest match as every action has a reaction.

What's a "chest match"?

 

[dmarsh8]

What's a "chest match"?

hahaahahah exactly

 

[Joe'Bronco]

What's a "chest match"?

I would show photos but i may get banned (NSFW) LOL
Good catch. Just typeing to fast i guess

CHESS match

 

[chezuki]

Dang it! I was hoping for pics!!

 

[Aaron1776]

I would like to think that I would be with it enough to throw the wallet down to distract him, but it's also possible that I would just blow his brains out with a snap shot. The human face is a big target at 2 yards and isn't hard to hit with a 4lb trigger.
Then I would turn and let his buddy have it with the remaining 16 rounds in my mag.

That is of course if everything stayed the same after the instant I shot the first one. Things change fast, so there are no guarantees. Also, it would depend on my state of mind. Historically under pressure, I stop feeling much of anything and just start acting automatically, then my heart races like a jack hammer when it's over. Were I to react differently, I might wait until a more opportune moment to waste him.
So many variables to consider in even just a simple thought exercise.

 

[nakinate]

After re-reading it, I think I'd be ok with that shot at 2 yards, but it's my kid. So first give the money. The risk of him shooting my kid while I am drawing isn't worth it.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I'm probably wishing I would have been OC that day because we all know that the BG would have either shot me on sight and taken my wallet or been scared off and gone after easier pickin's.

 

[SmokinSigs357]

He gets my wallet. For sure. His gun is already drawn and pointed... Hoping he/they care more for the money than hurting someone. If there were no bystanders, I'd probably blow his head off when he started counting the money though...just being honest.

 

[bingley]

For those advocating shooting, are you ready to accept the consequences of the bad guy's gun firing from a reflexive jerk as he dies? This is key.

Also, I'm not sure that we can take a look at his gun and decide to shoot or not shoot based on a guess of the trigger weight. What if he had work done on the revolver?

 

[mrjarrell]

They get the money. They've already got the drop on you and that's the sane thing to do. I can always shoot the bastard in the back as they run away.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

?, in public?

Yup, in public.

 

[Rocket]

That's a nightmare! Throw the wallet in an inconvient spot and wait for opening. After he releases child. Then take the shot! I would hope that his buddy would flee after his buddy drops. But be ready to engage. And hope for the best with the courts. But the perp is a major threat to society and must die or he will kill a child eventually even if by accident.

 

[rockhopper46038]

^^^ This is pretty close to what I was thinking. Wallet onto the ground to the gun side as the most inconvenient way for the gunman to pick it up and still keep his gun to my child's head. Hope for him to grab the wallet and run away. Be prepared for him to not do that. I trust my ability to take that shot, but I'm not confident enough of the immediacy of the effects to do it with a firearm in contact with a kid's head.