CNN had video on their website of a man that ran out of Walgreens after he heard the shots. He said he was armed (carries one for protection). Citizens were holding the gunman down and he assisted in holding the gunman down.
He said the gunman’s weapon (reported to be a Glock 19) had the slide back so it was empty. The Glock 19 holds 15 rounds. He said the gunman was attempting to re-load. The citizens kept him from being able to reload.
The citizen said that it was an “extended” magazine. I am sure he means a high capacity clip. He said that they held the gunman on the ground and the only thing he said was “oh my arm” they had his arm bent back.
The citizen said it took about three minutes for a police officer to get there and then they turned the gunman over to him and the officer handcuffed him. The police then searched the gunman and he had two more clips in his pocket and a knife.
A Glock 19 is a 9 mm handgun. It cost about $450.00 and you can get from Glock magazines of 10, 15, 17 or 31 rounds.
I have never been a fan of the Glock but a lot of people like it.
It makes a very good handgun for concealed carry. I guess in this case that is not good.
The first reports were that people heard 10 or 15 rounds fired. There was some report that two citizens jumped him and took him down as he was trying to reload. Those guys must have saved a lot of people.
I think it was under President Bill Clinton that a law passed to prevent the sale of extended magazines. Only police officers could buy high capacity clips. I was at a gun show with a friend when the law was getting ready to go into effect. People at the show hated President Clinton for the new law. They had targets up with him as the bulls eye. They kept announcing over the PA the effect goes into effect in x number of minutes and guys were running and buying up all the clips they could get their hands on and lots of assault rifles.
The federal ban on some assault rifles and high-capacity ammo magazines was in effect for 10 years. It came to and end in September of 2004.
President Bush said that he supported keeping the ban in effect but he did nothing to keep it in effect and entire Republican party was for the end to the law.
So the gunman today was able to buy very high-capacity magazines with out any problem.
Thank God for those citizens that got him down before he could reload. We could have ended up with 20 or 30 or more dead today.
When I was working I had a S&W 40 cal and I carried three 11 round clips. So in the weapon I had 12 rounds. Then I could load the weapon very fast and had a total 34 rounds with me when I was working.
I suspect that the shooter trained shooting but I suspect he did not train in re-loading and we can thank God for that… with high-capacity magazines today could have been much worst that it was.. It was bad.
There is no reason for citizens to have high-capacity magazines but the NRA, gun nuts and the Republicans will not agree.
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