Reasons to Resist Urge to Unholster Your Firearm in Chaotic Situations
By David Humphreys, Defend and Carry Contributor
The bloodbath between five biker gangs in Waco got me thinking about my own personal, concealed line of defense. When bullets are ricocheting off parked cars and armed threats are on all sides, would I reach for the firearm on my side? You bet I would. But to pull it out and confront multiple threats is another choice entirely. Unholstering a firearm isn’t always the right answer in these specific chaotic situations, and I’ll explain why.
Here are three situations when you should keep your concealed carry, well, concealed:
1.) Caught in the Crossfire
When gangs are unloading round after round at each other and you’re caught in the crossfire, it may be best to stay low and get behind cover. Let the threats duke it out amongst themselves, and try to escape the situation. Unless you have some deeply-rooted death wish, the last thing you want to do is poke your head out like a curious prairie dog.
However, if a gang member came at you with an obvious intent to harm you, that would be a legitimate reason to use your concealed counterpart.
2.) Help is on the way, Dear!
If you’re a bystander caught in a sticky situation, like a gang brawl, it may be in your best interest to allow law enforcement to do the shooting. There are more of them, they most likely have bigger guns than what’s in your holster, and they are on the clock doing their job. We as concealed carriers should refrain from going “Rambo” unless the situation requires it; instead, allow the authorities the chance to eliminate the threats in an orderly fashion.
It’s always good to keep your sidearm at the ready, but whipping it out when other options are available could prove to be a fatal choice in these chaotic situations. We must choose our battles wisely.
3.) What’s beyond your target?
Unless the attackers are lined up like a row of evil ducks, it may be best to resist pulling the trigger if it endangers innocent people within the vicinity. Too often bystanders die as a result of a hasty defensive shot. It all comes down to situational awareness. These moments in life happen quickly, and they require the best judgement call at the time. If you feel confident that you can neutralize the threat to your life without harming innocents, pull the hammer back and go with your gut instinct.
There are obviously dozens of reasons to keep your gun holstered, and these are just three if you find yourself caught in a five-way biker gang brawl. It all comes down to justifying the use of your firearm.
