Three weeks ago today, on Sunday June 8, I was in the fourth day of a MAG-40 class in Kankakee, Illinois. Among other topics of the day, I warned the students that one of the dangers of armed intervention was “tailgunners,” criminal accomplices who cover their “point man” while pretending to be shoppers, and will assassinate anyone who interferes with their fellow thugs. That same day, some 1800 miles away, that scenario was acted out with tragic results.
A vicious psycho couple walked into a pizza joint where two Las Vegas Metro officers were taking a meal break, and ambushed and murdered them. Taking the slain officers’ pistols and spare ammo, they made their way to a nearby WalMart. The male of the pair fired a shot into the ceiling and ordered everyone out. One armed citizen, Joseph Wilcox, drew his own Glock and moved toward the gunman. The tailgunner, the gunman’s wife, sidled up beside Wilcox and shot him dead. The two nutcases then shot it out with police, and died.
I’ve waited this long to address it because it takes that long for the facts to shake out. Early reports said one of the first two officers returned fire and wounded one of the perps; turns out that wasn’t true. Early reports said the armed citizen was female, and had wounded one of the cop-killers; turns out, no and no. First reports said the female psycho killed her husband and then herself; later reports say a police bullet killed him and she didn’t shoot him at all, though she did put a slug in her own head after being anchored by a police bullet in the final gunfight.
No one with a three-digit IQ has blamed officers Alyn Beck and Igor Soldo for their own deaths: they were bushwhacked suddenly and without discernible warning. Not so the private citizen, Joseph Wilcox. An amazing number of people on the Internet accused him of “getting himself killed,” with one idiot even suggesting that he died while “playing Barney Fife.” An interesting parallel was seen on two threads over at www.glocktalk.com. In the “Carry Issues” section, quite a few people thought Wilcox had overstepped his bounds. They took the position that the gun they carried was only to protect themselves and their families, not the public. Interestingly enough, in the “Cop Talk” section of the same forum, police officers felt he had done the right thing and agreed with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, who publicly proclaimed Wilcox to have died a hero and probably saved multiple innocent lives by interrupting the plans of the two whacked-out murderers.
Readers…I’d be very much interested in hearing YOUR take on this.
Without additional information, I feel that Mr. Wilcox could likely have been in the line of fire even if he had not acted. One never know what crazed gunmen will do, and there is no certainty that not acting would have been in any way safer. Instead, he decided to proactively engage the targets and put his life on the line. Certainly, it did not turn out well for him, but the act itself derailed any plans the gunmen had and spooked them to the idea of further reprisal, not to mention outing the tail gunner so that she couldn’t hide.
Personally, given the choice between acting and potentially dying… or failing to act and being in just as life threatening situation… or even failing to act and fleeing… I know that I would likely have chosen exactly the same as Mr. Wilcox.
I would not think that Wilcox had ‘overstepped’.
That said, I don’t think it was his ‘duty’ either.
He acted in a praisworthy manner, but I don’t think someone who withdrew would have acted in a blameworthy manner.
I’m old enough and have grown kids. Maybe I would attempt to follow his example if I were in a similar situation. Fifteen years ago, maybe I wouldn’t have.
I personally believe that it is among the responsibilities of all citizens to contribute to the health and welfare of their community and their fellow citizens. By saying it’s “not my job”, citizens contribute to the decay of the community and it’s health, to the ultimate detriment themselves.
Extrapolating this to armed citizens, I would see that where they can responsibly contribute to the welfare of community by stoping a crime occurring in front of them, they should do so. This does not mean monitoring a police scanner nor running into a gun fight, however, as in this case where a crime was initiated in front of Joseph, I believe he did the right thing for himself and the community to try and bring it to a stop. That it did not turn out well for him personally does not diminish from his act – it would appear that his action did contribute to bringing the situation to an early end and potentially saved many additional lives, thus serving the community.
Life is risk, life is pain and in the end we all die anyway. Our actions until that day though contribute to defining who we are as a person. I’d rather my legacy be “He tried and died working to save others”, rather than “Here lies a coward, who played it safe until the end of his days and who died forgotten”. If you cannot make this commitment to yourself, then perhaps you should not be armed in public.
Still too many variables. How often did he train? We cover ‘tailgunner’ in an occasional class or two of ours. Was cover/concealment available (perhaps behind one of the cash register tables)? Was there any way for him to at least move to a wall so his back or side was protected from someone surprising him from behind or the side? Having not been there or not seeing the scene I cannot answer those questions. He did the best he could under the circumstances, Tunnel vision certainly had a likely role here, too. It’s a sad situation. He did the right thing to try and help. By doing so, he did likely save several lives. After all, this is why we carry. ‘Just in case’ we happen to be in that one place at that one time when we have to act and there are no other options. I try not to second guess what someone else did when they only have that split second to decide what to do. Conversely, I often wonder what I would have done had I been in that situation. Another question with a difficult answer.
The only thing Wilcox may be guilty of is not knowing the “find the hero” game that seems to occur when more than one perp is involved.
Not saying what I might do in a similar situation (I may be one of those leaving the store in a hurry, even if I am carrying!) but I know of this sad game, where one perp stands out loudly and (sickeningly) proudly, while accomplices look for someone to move against them so they can be taken out. In the case of psychotics like this couple it’s to boost a body count while in the case of terrorists it is to create more terror.
Unasked for advice to anyone reading this: If you even think you might be able to stop such insane acts with your legally carried weapons, make certain you take your tactical cues from experts (LEO and military, specifically) and not from Hollywood.
And I too am glad the Vegas PD considers Wilcox a hero because he is.
I think Mr. Wilcox did a good thing but the dice rolled against him. The end result is never guaranteed in such matters. When good people fail to step forward a society is lost and dying.
Hmmm…If the bad guy said “get out of the store”, I would get out. If the good guy felt he was in imminent danger, then it’s a dilemma – should he seek cover first? Was there time and cover available? If more responsible CCW’s were present, would the outcome have been different?
I think both sides are right. Whether or not to get involved is a tough decision that those of us who legally carry hope we never have to make. None of us carry to be heroes, but the day may come when we may have the decision forced on us. There is no shame in deciding to stay out of it if you are not being directly threatened. There is also no reason to deride those who would decide to stand up and try to save others. Personally, I believe that Joseph Wilcox was a brave man that likely saved many lives, both citizens and police. I believe his actions flushed out the tailgunner early, preventing her from surprising officers who responded and others.
….maybe what it boils down to: Wilcox went to “condition red” too soon, should have taken a step back and scanned before drawing his weapon?
Thank you for revisiting this story.
Tailgunners. Focus on the plural. Is a subject I need to learn more about.
I go by my States law here in GA.
And in this case out in LV I would be justified in threatening force, or using force to defend myself or a third person against such others imminent-use/use of unlawful force or to prevent a forcible felony.
In the case of these two murderers, I would definitely have been within the law as I read it to use my weapon @ the WalMart. Same with the Pizza parlor, though background targets would have been a huge concern in both scenarios.
It sounds as though Mr. Wilcox did his level best. He acted. And that action did disrupt the events unfolding. How his act shaped the future events we don’t know. But we do know those events were disrupted by his action.
Hopefully he and his loved ones had discussed the possible outcomes from this kind of intervention. I certainly have.
Yet as I suspect most folks do, I hope like heck I never need to intervene with a weapon.
R.I.P to The Officers and the Citizen.
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I think he did what his conscience dictated, and as such his actions make him a hero.
I also think the fell victim to the tunnel vision that is common in such a situation and that it was exacerbated by the fact that most people don’t generally expect a woman to be involved in an active shooter situation.
I don’t know to what degree Mr. Wilcox influenced the situation, but he put himself in harms way for the good of others, and that’s the definition of heroism in my view.
Mr. Ayoob,
Mr. Wilcox did what I like to think I’d have done. I’ve tried to think how it might have turned out differently for me but really I can’t. How in the world do you stay focused on the guy with the gun and still take into account the women shopper who pulls out a gun as soon as your head turns? Who would have guessed she was a threat?
What an effective and deadly combination.
He did lose SA, and missed the woman no question. But I think he did try to do the right thing. As far as the rest, I wasn’t there and didn’t know him. What his mental state was is anyone’s guess. Did he save lives? I believe he probably did, and should be considered a hero. I guess my biggest problem is some of the media painting him as a nutcase in his own right for ‘escalating’ the situation by attempting to stop the shooting!
I certainly think Wilcox should have retreated and evaluated the situation. That being said, I think he was heroic in his actions.
On the day of the incident, initial reports on TV said at the Walmart two suspects and a female bystander were killed. But as you said, it turns out the female wasn’t a bystander, but a killer. It seems the misconception persisted until security cam footage came out showing her violent last moments.
This says to me that it wasn’t just Wilcox that was fooled; *everyone* was fooled by that woman. To harshly judge Wilcox is the height of ignorance or arrogance. Nearly anyone in his situation would have been taken unawares too, regardless of training and experience.
I’m currently reading The Mission, the Men, and Me by former Delta Force commander Pete Blaber. Great book. I don’t have it on hand right now, so I’ll have to paraphrase…Regarding clandestine operations in hostile environments, he said, “When people see two male strangers together, they get suspicious. When they see a male and female stranger together, they think nothing of it.” Similar principles apply here.
…so how did Wilcox change the outcome of the situation? From what you recounted, the bad guys were intent on emptying the store, not on killing civilian shoppers.
Until you are threatened by deadly force, you should not show a weapon.
You could come upon a shooting, but not know who is the victim. I might assist a cop.
I, like hundreds of others in Las Vegas, knew Alyn Beck well. He and I often discussed these situations due to our respective professional experience. I was a sworn officer and trainer for a decade plus before going into law and Alyn, a tactical training officer for the department, was instrumental in developing and training metro (and other agencies) in tactical response. I can say without reservation Alyn supported civilian carry and I’m sure he has already told Joe Wilcox he did the right thing. If Alyn had lived he would have stood with the sheriff and called him a hero. As a regional legal commentator on Fired Up! with Bob Irwin I expressed as much. I’ve heard from many, some gun people among them, who felt that Joe Wilcox was wrong. In our local paper one regular anti gun anti carry person actually suggested that the shooters were legal because they did not “pose a threat” and the wife used legal defense of others (her husband) when she shot Joe. I’ve extended an offer to publicly debate this issue with them but they have not, and I do not believe they will, respond. Joe Wilcox acted on what he perceived as a direct threat to himself and others. It was the first time these two trolls’ plan was interrupted in any way and almost certainly saved lives in doing so.
Tough call, and I would say it depends. If with my family first thing I’ll make sure of is they are in a safe place, which would mean getting them out of Wal-Mart and away from the shooting. Then I would evaluate what is going on.
If by myself, well I would probably be looking at protecting people, getting them out and if I had a clear shot taking it.
First, I believe Mr. Wilcox was a brave man. Even if some judge him a foolish man, we should not lose sight of the fact he also was a brave man.
For me this incident raises two separate questions:
1. The philosophical/religious question of how much danger a person should expose himself to for the benefit of strangers. Along with this is a person’s duty to protect himself out of concern for his loved ones.
2. The question of how to be successful at intervening and not getting shot.
I believe these two questions are often not separated in discussions of this kind, but they should be.
I hope no one takes offense, but I engage in these online discussion for advise on question 2 not question 1.
The CHL holder was a hero. There are no guarantees in life. He stepped up, flat out, and paid for it with his life through unfortunate ambush.
It seems to me that it’s about your character makeup. Some don’t want to get involved and just protect themselves or they wish to egress with their family. I understand and respect that. To diss the CHL holder though is asinine and fills me with an irritating and entrenched form of cognitive dissonance.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke). Evil wins by too much selfishness, apathy or un-admitted cowardice.
Its one thing for two guys to engage in mutual combat and want to avoid that. It’s another when I see women, children, and the elderly under the legally articulatable threat of grave bodily harm, crippling injury or death. How the heck as a CHL holder do I walk away from that? That’s someone grandfather/grandmother/daughter/wife/mom/child/granddaughter etc.
The CHL holder who died was a hero. I wonder if you (Mas) would do a tactical post on training drills for learning to operantly condition looking for multiple threats to reduce risk. In the moment of an actual event, this needs to be engrained.
– a member of MAG-20 Class (KR Training) Austin TX 2014
I have worked in LE off and on for many years now (now only part-time) so I am coming at this from a different angle than most people.
For me, the need to do my “duty” of stopping bad things from happening to people is the overriding factor.
If good people stand by while bad guys do bad things happen to others, they are not much better than the bad guy.
I, and many others out there, accepted a long time ago that we might need to die protect others. My first duty is to protect my family, but my second duty is to protect everyone else that needs such.
Some will make the argument that I won’t be much good to my family with a bullet through my skull, and they have a point… but how much good am I to them and myself as a coward who refused to stop evil from happening?
This man attempted to stop evil and paid the ultimate price. Those that are condemning him are those that are too cowardly to have done the same thing, as in your example from the Carry forum at http://www.glocktalk.com . Those that are also willing to put their lives on the line to protect others (those in the cop forum) are applauding him because they know he did right.
I lean toward the position that the gun I carry is to protect myself and family. I can probably imagine circumstances in which I would want to protect innocents, however, I believe I would hesitate because circumstances may not be what they seem. Life is seldom clear cut, and I am not trained in public protection.
Without being there, there are too many unanswerable questions for me to have any opinion on tactics or the decision by Joseph Wilcox. For example, was he alone? Did he have family with him? Were there still many people in the store that were obviously at risk? Not knowing these and many other particulars, what I will say is if a law abiding armed citizen does only what is best for their own personal safety in all situations, always, that is a concept I cannot and could not live with myself. I would not be able to live with a decision to flee, when I could help others. But maybe that’s just me.
Mr. Wilcox is a hero. We can draw useful conclusions and lessons from what he did or did not do. We can speculate on how he was able to influence the eventual outcome. ( I believe he did). I doubt seriously anyone would dare to blame him for his own death had he been unarmed and attempting to intervene.
But the fact remains that he acted for the benefit of others, with great disregard for his personal safety.
I don’t know how else you define ‘hero’.
One fact that I keep coming back to is that many mass murderers seem to fall apart when someone interrupts their “plan” for their massacre. We saw it in an attempted mall shooter a few years ago, who fled when he encountered armed resistance and shot himself.
The armed citizen may well have disrupted the plans of the two murderers and saved a number of lives. I consider him a hero and lament that he didn’t see that he was dealing with a pair, not a single murderer.
This shows us that it’s important not only to make sure that there are no innocents in the path of our bullets, as well as to try to minimize our exposure to a backup goblin. You’ve emphasized how dangerous it is to intervene, and the Las Vegas incident illustrates this.
He was definitely a hero. If I have my family with me then, of course, my responsibility is to see them to safety. If, however, I am by myself then intervention of some type is a must. How could I presume to tell the 7 yr old who looks up to me what it means to be a man if I ran away and left others to the wolves.
One if the biggest advantages I have in carrying concealed is that I decide when to reveal my armed status. A person carrying a pistol gets my attention but I will wait until I see signs of actual violent intent against an innocent party before I decide to act.
As has already been mentioned, was cover available? Could the cover be used to brace for an accurate distance shot?
He could have done everything right and still been ambushed. I respect his willingness to defend his community.
If it looked to me like the male killer really was trying to empty the store without harming innocent bystanders, I would leave and take as many others as possible with me. If it looked like he would start killing everyone he saw, I would engage him.
The situation in the pizza place was unambiguous. If I had a clear shot at the killers, I would take out both of them without warning.
Only two good things came out of this incident. The more important, and gratifying, one is that local police praised Wilcox’s courage instead of disparaging him. The other is that the rest of us no longer have to worry about these two killers.
After 9/11 and the example of the passengers on Flight 93, it seemed like public sentiment was turning in favor of citizen action. Locally, three punks thought they didn’t have to take a lone female police officer seriously. A man and two women passing by took down two of them while the officer handled the third. Unfortunately, this willingness to take action has diminished again. It doesn’t help that it is usually discouraged instead of commended.
The sheepdog acted and the sheep still bleat. Hindsight is 20/20 and we can say what tactics he should have used but he did what he thought was best. God rest his soul.
I say don’t blow your cover and draw your weapon unless you or someone else is in an deadly threat incident. Meaning the bad guy is drawing down on you or others, then still, seek the best position for you to act. Use your stealth and try to find cover to get a clear shot if you have time! And be aware what is behind your target. I wasn’t there and I’m not second guessing Mr. Wilcox, just giving you my thoughts. Since the bad guy was not shooting at me or others, I would have probably left the store and doing my best to get everybody out with me. While keeping SA the entire time and then let the police do their job with an empty Walmart of good people.
There are two kinds of people in this world. I hope that if I ever have to find out which I am, I am the same kind as Mr. Wilcox. God give him grace and his family comfort.
May all of us who read about his actions learn whatever lessons we can from them.
I was hoping that you would comment on this, it was worth waiting for.
Mr. Wilcox’s actions place him squarely in the ranks of “Hero”.
There is no “duty” to respond if you are a CCW permit holder. If you do run/escape, and more innocents are killed, you will have to live with it the rest of your life. So, it is one of those things you’d better come to terms with on a deeply personal level BEFORE you find yourself face to face with the decision.
Without question, the bystander did the correct thing. Interrupting the criminals probably gave police the opportunity to do what they do.
Some think Mr. Wilcox should have taken a break, think it over, call home to see if wifey approves. Bull s**t!
Mr. Wilcox appraised the situation and acted on his decision. The outcome was extremely sad, tragic for his family. His is the only life his actions cost, he may have save someone’s life by giving his own. I DID NOT say he saved a life but he MAY have, perhaps many lives.
You with permits to carry a gun do not have to do anything in a similar situation, just stand there and hope the bad guys will be happy just killing a slow to react cashier or a kid running for the door. What happens when they walk over to you and raise their gun toward your head? You’ll piss your pants, that’s the last thing you’ll do in this life. Mr. Wilcox made the right choice, I hurt for his family. I hope his heroism is some comfort to them.
Wilcox drew attention to himself, focusing the bad guys attention on himself and away from other innocents. This alone, armed or not, made him a hero.
The events as they unfolded around him made it a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation. Survivors of events such as this learn lessons, non-survivors are second guessed and their actions analysed by some, hoping to pick up on something that will help them survive if confronted with a similar set of circumstances.
Deadly force confrontations are measured in seconds or fractions of seconds, not minutes. Training is essential, but no amount of training will insure your survival, especially if you are thrust into the defensive role without any prior warning. You will already be far behind the curve when such events unfold. That’s why they are called “oh’ s**t moments.
Legitimate questions that can be raised that we all can learn lessons from need to be touched on. I will go to first person from here, out of respect for Mr.Wilcox.
1) do I have a plan that I have dwelt on in my mind in anticipation of such a event in the future?
2) are my loved ones and friends aware of my anticipated plan of action and in agreement, and know what’s expected of them?
3) am I proficient enough to effectively engage a moving target, at indeterminate distances under extreme stress? (big difference than proficiency required for most concealed carry courses)
4) is avoiding “tunnel vision” even possible? (folks talk about this a lot, but at distances of more than ten-fifteen feet, I submit that not focusing on the target being engaged begs for unintended possibilities)
5) have I properly assessed the situation I may be injecting myself into? (would I and those I’m attempting to assist be better served if I assumed a defensive position?)
These are questions I ask myself, and are not intended as criticism of anyone, only as, hopefully, an aid to the thought processes of those who try to prepare for such horrific circumstances.
Finally, bad guys usually (not always, but usually) travel in packs, if they are intent on harming you and have chosen you as a target, don’t expect a warning, and don’t fool yourself into believing your holstered weapon is going to protect you if he/she has already closed the distance and initiated the attack with their weapon. Be aware, make it mental game to identify possible threats and keeping distance between them and you.
Bad guys almost always have a plan, the Las Vegas homicidal scum certainly did, and if you anticipate becoming involved, accidentally or by conscience decision, you better have one too.
“Greater love than this hath no man, than that he lay down his life for his friend”. He was the ultimate good neighbor, protecting the vulnerable.
Mr. Wilcox consciously decided he must act and so he did. In an instant, we can decide what we can tolerate and what we just can’t live with. He knew that for him, action was what he had to do. I admire his decision and courage. You only go around this old world one time and who wants to live out their days as a coward. Wilcox is a Hero.
He did not overstep. It was his duty as a citizen. He is a hero, and while his tactics and training fell short, he made the right effort, and I hope he is blessed. For those of you who say he should not have, that protection is only for ‘me or my family’ , well, you are the 97%. For those of you who think he was stupid, shame!
Mr. Wilcox certainly can’t be faulted for his actions. In hind-sight, a lot of other actions might have been more effective. I tend to agree with the sentiment that a shot had already been fired and he would have been justified with “taking out” the shooter immediately. We can only guess at his position, ability, and surroundings so speculating as to what he should have done is futile. He died a hero in my eyes.
Its not a tough call as some have said. He did not act too soon as some have said. He is a sheep dog, tough, not afraid.
Do you know how many even with license to carry and having a 16 round 9mm on them would be crapping their pants as they ran as fast as they could to safety? Think I am blowing it out of proportion? Think those guys/gals won’t run. They do.
He did what he personally at that moment felt was best for all. Let the people involved judge him. Some may think he was looking for a fight. It takes a lot of guts to point a gun at a guy with another gun. Most would not have. Even with training. It can all go out the window if your just not the type…
Mr. Wilcox RIP as a brave man.
Although the particulars of Mr. Wilcox’s immediate situation will probably always remain sketchy, I think an Ayoob after-action-report would make very interesting reading, although it would require some speculation and possibly some if/then flowcharting.
Wilcox did what he felt circumstances dictated and he was compelled to decide and act in a very short time-frame. No second guessing will either fully explain his intent or bring him back. This scenario is truly frightening. Knowing that a tail-gunner could be present, does one take eyes off of the obvious threat and expend valuable seconds trying to locate another that might not exist? Do you wait (perhaps too long) to expose your weapon for fear of attracting attention of a possible TG? This has exposed some serious deficiencies in my training, practice and mindset. Thanks!
In today’s American society infested with too many narcissistic, self-absorbed “Somebody Elsers” who would most definitely eschew taking courageous action to face down a pair of psycho cop killers, let the names of Officers Beck and Soldo whose lives were lost in the line of duty and the name of Mr. Wilcox, the noble citizen who advanced toward danger, exposing himself to imminent and consequent mortal peril, be remembered for all eternity. Our federal, state and local laws are superceded by an internal moral code when innocents are placed “in extremis.” Mr. Wilcox instinctively obeyed that internal moral code that told him, “You must attempt to stop this violent crime in progress.” Post-incident analysis is valuable, but let not one strategist or tactician find fault with an incredibly brave American who acted while others dialed 911 so that Officers Beck and Soldo could respond instantaneously to a violent crime in progress. Mea culpa. Officers Beck and Soldo had just made the ultimate sacrifice across the street minutes before. My late father did not know all the variables when he landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy, France in 1944. Nor did his fellow soldiers. They just advanced into the mouth of Hell. Today’s USA needs more men and women such as Mr. Wilcox and less “Somebody Elsers” who regard emergency service personnel, firefighters, law enforcement officers and military personnel merely as “necessary servants” and an internal moral code as a bad upper respiratory infection or a bleeding stomach ulcer. Officers Beck and Soldo and Mr. Wilcox fell so that we all might live. I am beyond grateful for their individual willingness to expose themselves to mortal danger, no matter how great the final cost might be. Walmart should pull out all the stops to assist the family of Mr. Wilcox as they struggle to face the loss of an American hero, just as local law enforcement will rally to protect the families of Officers Beck
and Soldo.
Mr. Wilcox made the best decision he could in a very bad situation. He volunteered for a gun fight, damn anyone who second guesses him.
I think that this goes to show you that while a direct assault on you may require a quick and decisive response, incidents like mass shooting or the one written about probably require more observation and planning.
What exactly constitutes the “right” and “wrong” choices here?
It is easy to say looking back at the situation, that Wilcox paid for his actions with his life, and say he made the wrong choice. But that’s only with hindsight. The risk of confronting a shooter is always the possibility of ultimately losing the battle. Was it worth the risk? It all depends on your priorities. Would I have done the same thing? Maybe, maybe not. We do not know the body language of the shooter, we don’t know what he said exactly, or how he said it. We don’t know whether he seemed true to his word that he would let people out without harming anyone. If Wilcox had not confronted, would the outcome be the same or worse? If they had not been sidetracked by Wilcox, would they have had time to enact some other plan they had?
I would consider Wilcox’s actions heroic. It takes guts to confront someone in the defense of innocents, and I don’t think anyone should be faulted for that. We have to remember that the good guy doesn’t always win, unlike in the movies. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t attempt to do good. I don’t want to sound uncaring, but what we can say definitively is that Wilcox did what he was allowed to and supposed to do, and it is why we all carry, for that opportunity to prevent evil from dictating our actions. Other than that, it’s up to him and God as to whether his actions were the right choice. I hope his family can find peace after it.
In my 36 years of carrying concealed most as an off duty Police Officer those are the type of things we train for by attending survival seminars, tactical shooting classed, advanced tactical shooting…. year after year after year. Unfortunately Mr. Wilcox most likely did not have this advanced firearms training, the mental preparation, the use of cover and concealment… and just did the best he could do with his level of skills as he possessed.
As we don’t know exactly what happened did Wilcox issue a verbal command from the open or was he behind cover to the suspect he was faced/focused on yet the female suspect had a clear shot at his side they said he was shot through the ribs which she took… too many unanswered questions here to make a proper determination did he act recklessly. In my opinion I feel he was a genuinely good citizen who thought he could help and was unaware what he was dealing with.
This has got to be a lesson to all CCW holders if your going to get involved, which is honorable and could save innocent lives, please do some shooting from cover, utilize a position of cover when firing if you have none go prone, and remember not to expose yourself in the open when moving stay towards cover at all times and go at this SLOW rushing can get you killed.
I wrote on a police blog that left him completely out a few weeks ago: “lets not forget the armed citizen Mr. Wilcox who perished trying to saved innocent lives that day in Wal-Mart.”
Mas, when the bad guys start shooting, the words uttered, just shy of 150 years ago, by Rear Admiral Farragut at the Battle of Mobile Bay, “Damn the torpedoes! Go ahead…., full speed!” Express my position. May we who go armed be guided by clear thinking, appropriate training, and the courage to act. I therefore believe Mr. Wilcox acted correctly, with a rare resolve & courage, may he rest in God’s Grace.
the Rev out!
“Cowards die a thousand deaths; the brave, only one.” Not very many people would be willing to run towards gunfire. Apparently Mr. Wilcox was one man who decided he would when the time came. I believe what a person will do in a moment of crisis, how he will react to an imminent threat, can only be clearly known once that situation presents itself. Thinking about what I will do in a certain dangerous situation doesn’t remove all the uncertainty, but minimizes the opportunity for an error-likely situation (in this case, a tailgunner), as was experienced by Mr. Wilcox, may he rest in peace.
As any service member who has experienced combat will tell you, a man comes face to face with his true inner character immediately once the bullets start flying–Mr. Wilcox was found courageous that fateful day. May his family find comfort in knowing he unselfishly sacrificed his lives for his fellow men. RIP.