Don't resist. Don't agitate. Don't fight back. Otherwise you might end up killing the bastard
At 1:10 p.m., a male suspect came through the courthouse's west entrance. As he approached a walkthrough electronic screening device, two bailiffs told him to go through it. He produced a handgun and fired at them, Pinellas County sheriff's spokesman Jim Bordner said. The two bailiffs shot and killed him. One of the bailiffs was shot, suffering a nonlife-threatening injury, Bordner said. Further details on the bailiff's condition were not disclosed.
At 1:10 p.m., a male suspect came through the courthouse's west entrance. As he approached a walkthrough electronic screening device, two bailiffs told him to go through it.
He produced a handgun and fired at them, Pinellas County sheriff's spokesman Jim Bordner said. The two bailiffs shot and killed him.
One of the bailiffs was shot, suffering a nonlife-threatening injury, Bordner said. Further details on the bailiff's condition were not disclosed.
How many more stories like this do we need to read before everyone realizes it's simply better to not resist, to just give the criminal misunderstood individual what he asks for, even if that happens to be your life?
The sheep were really startled, too
"I knew when I looked in his eyes. It was something," she said. "I can tell a lot by a person's gestures, his eyes. I made eye contact, and his eyes told me to run, run for my life, and that's what I did."
Now, I'm not going to make too much fun of this woman because yeah, run. That's actually a good idea when the option is available. I mean, I like you and all that, but in a situation like this, you're on your own bud. Had she screamed that she saw his gun (which she did), he may have shot her instead.
But this lady, on the other hand
Shara Ellis, a property manager in the courthouse taking care of some civil matters, said everybody ran for cover following the shooting. "I didn't see much. I heard," Ellis said. "I was standing in front of the elevator to go to the law library. … In that moment, I heard an explosion. … I was just riveted to the spot. I didn't move right away. When I did, I went to the detector. A man was on the floor in a ball. He had a backpack on."
Shara Ellis, a property manager in the courthouse taking care of some civil matters, said everybody ran for cover following the shooting.
"I didn't see much. I heard," Ellis said. "I was standing in front of the elevator to go to the law library. … In that moment, I heard an explosion. … I was just riveted to the spot. I didn't move right away. When I did, I went to the detector. A man was on the floor in a ball. He had a backpack on."
Sounds like a standard case of being in condition white and switching too fast to red. Now, I can't speak too well on firearm reports in buildings, but one would suspect you could at least get a North / South bearing on where the shot came from... and go the OTHER way.
Luckily, the bailiff that was shot is fine. The shooter is in good condition too (room temperature is perfect for crazy killers) so it at least turned out ok in the end. It especially turned out much better for the hundreds of unarmed people in the building who could have done nothing had the perp managed to take out the bailiffs and then wandered through the halls.
But, the Gun Free-ness keeps them safe!
I was just riveted to the spot.
Had she screamed that she saw his gun (which she did), he may have shot her instead.