Woman armed with a legal handgun put down a potential mass shooter who was shooting an AR-15 into a crowd in West Virginia.

 

The scene of the incident. ABC6/WCHS.

A woman armed with a legal handgun shot and killed a man armed with a AR-15 who was shooting into a crowd at a party in West Virginia. ABC6. A 37 year old man named Dennis Butler was the man who was killed. Police say that someone had confronted Butler about speeding in an area where children are present and then he returned with the AR-15 and opened fire, putting dozens of people at risk. But a legal gun owner returned fire and shot and killed Butler. Butler had an extensive criminal history and it is not known how he obtained his rifle. No charges will be filed against the woman. 

My Comment:

This story is largely being ignored by the mainstream media. There is an Associated Press piece that a few outlets have picked up, but the article is fairly barebones. I had to go to local media to get a more in depth view of the story. 

It's another example of a good guy (or gal in this case) with a gun putting down a potential mass shooter. It's also an example of how badly mass shootings are covered. This will never be recorded as one as the shooter was shot and killed before he even injured someone.

 Incidents like this rarely get the media coverage they deserve and it's a shame. Why? Because knowing that they could be popped before they even injure someone could function as a good deterrence to mass shooters. Most mass shooters want fame and infamy but don't want to be made a fool off and even by their standards there is nothing more pathetic than a person who planned a mass casualty event but gets wasted by someone with a CCW.  

It also puts the actions of the police in the Uvalde shooting in perspective. They appeared to be unable to confront a mass shooter armed with an AR while they had AR's and shotguns themselves. However, this woman was armed with nothing more than a pistol and was able to put this shooter down. Had she waited for police a lot of people could have been killed. 

It seems the attacker in this case was a total scumbag that was willing to kill people just because someone told him off for reckless driving. It does not sound at all like this was a planned mass shooting, just a spur of a moment thing. I also don't know if Butler had his weapon illegally or legally, but it sounds like he had an extensive criminal record. I am guessing he had it illegally because if he was convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors, he would not have been able to purchase a rifle legally. 

Regardless, the woman who shot this man was a hero and should be praised for her actions. Her bravery is a good example for the rest of us and a strong argument of why people should carry a concealed weapon. Even something as simple as a graduation party can turn dangerous if there isn't anyone there willing to stop a potential killer.