If folks only get their news from mainstream, national media outlets, it's easy for them to have the false impression that defensive gun uses are incredibly rare in this country. For every high-profile DGU that makes national headlines, like Jordan Salinas shooting back at an active shooter in Twin Falls, Idaho, there are literally thousands of other armed citizens who defend themselves and others without drawing much attention from the media beyond a local news report or two.
One such incident recently unfolded in Riverton, Utah, about 20 miles from Salt Lake City. According to KSL.com, a man entered a gas station in the city and tried to buy alcohol, but when the clerk refused to sell it to him because the man didn't have an ID on him, he became irate and belligerent before leaving the store after another customer tried to defuse the situation and get him to calm down.
He soon returned, though, and this time he was armed with a shotgun. Riverton Police public information officer Nate Slack originally stated that the man was able to pull the trigger one time before the same customer who had earlier tried to de-escalate things drew his pistol and returned fire.
After being shot, the man exited the store and collapsed outside, where he died from his injuries.
He said the person who shot the man has been very cooperative with officers.
"I think this is why a lot of people do conceal carry just to protect themselves in situations like this. Obviously a very unfortunate situation, but they do occur; they are rare, however, especially here in Riverton," Slack said.
They're not particularly rare. Even on the low end of estimates there are about 70,000 defensive gun uses each year, and some research indicates the number is actually in the millions. In many cases, though, no shots are fired. The presence of the gun in the hand of the armed citizen is enough to de-escalate the situation.
In an update, Riverton police say the shotgun-wielding man did not pull the trigger before he was shot, and there were actually two armed citizens who fired at the suspect.
Does the fact that the suspect didn't fire a shot change anything from a legal perspective? I don't think so, at least in this case.
Utah law states that "An individual is justified in using force intended or likely to cause death or serious bodily injury only if the individual reasonably believes that force is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury to the individual or another individual as a result of imminent use of unlawful force, or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony."
In this case, you've got a guy who was angry about not being able to buy alcohol. He leaves the store in a huff, and returns a short time later with a shotgun in his hands. I think it was entirely reasonable for everyone inside that gas station to assume that the suspect meant to do harm, and the armed citizens didn't have to wait for the suspect to fire first before they could lawfully defend themselves and the store clerk with deadly force.
This could easily have turned into a mass shooting, but because the armed citizens were able to neutralize the threat before anyone was injured or killed, the defensive gun use in Riverton will almost certainly remain untouched by the national media. At least the local news is paying attention, and hopefully we'll learn more about the suspect and the armed citizens in the days ahead.
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