Gun Fight in Wal-Mart - Colorado

Are having more people armed the answer to our nations gun violence problem?  There was yet another shooting reported - this time at a crowded store many of us shop at, Wal-Mart.  The shooter sent cashiers, employees and shoppers scrambling for safety while some shoppers took out their own weapons in an attempt to defend themselves.

This caused a problem as police arrived as they could not differentiate the good guys from the bad.  See how this could be a problem? Bad guy can blend in with good guy and then they have to review surveillance footage to sort it all out.  This happened in a Denver suburb and the result was a headache to all in law enforcement.

 AP Photo - suspected shooter Scott Olstrem's car being impounded

Naturally, gun advocates are praising the shoppers who were themselves armed and who sought to keep the gunman at bay. The incident resulted in 3 people being killed.  Law enforcement says that well intentioned gun owners may have believed they were helping, but it ultimately hindered their apprehension of the suspected shooter.

Here we go again - another day, another mass shooting headline.  The brazen nature of bringing a gun into a popular store such as Wal Mart shows how little concern these people have for human life, their own included.  It's a wonder the body count wasn't higher given the circumstances and number of shoppers at a store like Wal Mart.

47 year old Scott Olstrem was arrested after an extensive review of video surveillance footage.  The NRA didn't immediately comment on the incident (guess they have to find a positive spin to put on this one).  Bystanders in a crowded store should not pull their weapons unless they have the proper law enforcement training.  I suppose my viewpoint might be different if one of these vigilantes would have saved MY life - but I'm thinking of all that could have gone wrong here.

Another example of America being too damned armed for our own good.