Originally Posted by Steve M1911A1

...And talk about liability!
If an "entertainer" came out, on stage, dressed as Holmes was and firing only blanks out at the crowd, and if someone in the audience was carrying, got alarmed, and cut him down, I will bet that the concealed-carrier's response would pass the "reasonable man" test, and that the theater owner and manager would be held liable for the death of the "entertainer."

Riddle me that one, Batman!

It's possible the CCW dude could prevail in their trial. Personally, I agree it would be "reasonable".
But, I am just an old right-wing gun nut white man, reformed from a left-wing liberal "young man" by a REALLY close call.

But, in a Denver CO suburb ? This might be a big stretch to "get off scott-free". I'd guess manslaughter at a minimum.
In any case, the person would lose REALLY big-time in legal costs.
See "George Zimmerman" vs. young black man casing houses in the rain under the influence of "Lean".

Ya. And with that many people scrambling around can you imagine a beginner firing wildly into a crowd. Even if the intentions are good it would be hard as hell to get a clear line of sight. Maybe if you were in the first 3 rows or so. I want to know why an alarm didn't go off when he opened the emergency door before the movie started.

Originally Posted by DanP_from_AZ

It's possible the CCW dude could prevail in their trial...But, in a Denver CO suburb ? This might be a big stretch to "get off scott-free". I'd guess manslaughter at a minimum...

The gun-toter would also get a chance at the theater owner, in civil court, for steep damages.
There, too, there's a good chance that he would prevail and, maybe, even be made whole.

Originally Posted by Map9690

Ya. And with that many people scrambling around can you imagine a beginner firing wildly into a crowd...

Three responses:
1. That's why a gun-toter can't just put a gun on his belt and think himself ready for action. Do you carry a gun without really knowing how to use it?
2. That's why a gun-toter has to practice, practice, practice. If you don't practice, you don't make hits under pressure and while experiencing a confusing environment.
3. Some kind of response would've been better than no response at all. Even a peripheral hit would've stopped this fight.

Holmes is a power-and-control fantasizer, living is a self-created dream world. One wounding hit would've brought him back to reality really quickly. He would then either have exited whimpering, stage left, or fallen to the floor and started crying.

As far as the shooting in Colorado it was mistakenly reported that the shooter was wearing body armor. What the FBI found was he actually was wearing a tactical vest, which is typical nylon with multiple pockets for magazines. This type of vest would have offered no protection from a typical handgun caliber unless the round hit a magazine and stopped or deflected. Had anyone been able to return fire, whether they were capable of a head shot or not, I think the outcome would have been quite different.

The posts that comment on the lack of skill of the average person with a concealed carry are quite accurate.