As I watched the video I learned so much. It did raise some questions that some of you could answer.
From the video angle would have been a shot to the left side of the shooter. Someone returning fire would have much less to shoot at than a frontal shot. The question also comes up , what is under the sweat shirt that he is wearing.
Those of you that more knowledgeable how does this factor into, what is a adequate caliber and where do I aim to take him out.
IP another good question. I'm happy to share my perspective with you on this, but there are various schools of thought on this with good merit. For me, adequate is 3 magazines of 13 to 15 +1 rounds in a caliber from 9mm to 45. Anything less I consider a compromise.
In that particular instant, according to Jack, the only shot he had was at the guys head, so in that case, you take the only shot you have.
Now not all of here are Jack Wilson. But in those circumstances, you still take the shot. According to the best studies we have on mass shootings, even if you miss, it's far superior to taking no action at all. The single most important variable in mass shooting is the length of time from when to bad guys opens fire, until gunfire is returned. In the majority of there scenario's, end with the shooter committing suicide ,or surrendering, at the first sign of resistance.
Columbine, School resource officer got lead into one of the shooters, they went to to the library, and after shooting it up, committed suicide.
Colorado New Life Church, after Jeanne Assam got some lead into the shooter he committed suicide.
Aurora Theater, Once police showed up, the shooter surrendered without a fight...and so on.....point is, it's a common pattern.
Lets say you miss, even if they don't immediately off them self, you've taken the initiative from them, and they are no longer of the offense, but have to play defense. This impairs their opportunities to inflict further mayhem, but now you're trading pop shot with a guy with a 12 gauge...maybe he's not giving you any clear shots, so the best you can do he give some cover fire to keep his head down while other evacuate and call for help. How long can you do that with a J-frame .38? What if you need to apply some fire-and-maneuver so you can get a better shot. Again, how effective can such a tactic be with a 5 shot revolver?
Now presuming you have an option, and you are not just confined to just shooting at what you are given,
CNS hits stop fights. The spine resides in the middle of the body, so it's a good starting point for your point of aim. Personally, I like the high chest aim. Draw a line from the top of the arm pits to the bottom of the neck, and hold in the center. If you turn off the circuitry above the arms, the fight is over. This has an additional advantage. Many vests have a coverage gap in this area.
If you are concerned about shooting around a vest, the other option is the low spine shot. The bottom of many vests is around the navel, so aim half way between the navel and the bottom of the tail bone. Hits to the lower spine will impair their mobility, anchoring them in place, further degrading their combat effectiveness, giving you the maneuver advantage. Depending on the scenario, there may be intelligence value in interrogating the shooter, presuming of course, he doesn't choose offing himself over a wheel chair.
Another potential solution is called the "zipper method". This is typically used for closer encounters. As you draw and bring your gun up, center on the spine, and as soon as you have torso behind the muzzle, pull the trigger. Keep bringing your muzzle up, and keep pulling the trigger until you've run the length of the spine from the crotch to the base of the neck, or until the fight is over. The goal is to impart maximum shock to the CNS, stopping the fight.
Of course, it's easy to write this from the comfort of my library, about the only thing I can say for certain about any scenario you might face is it will be a surprise, with it's own unique set of variables.
