Mall Shooting and future terrorism

Newsday uses the Salt Lake City shooting to remind us that malls could be terrorist targets.

Malls emerge as another front in terror war

The author notes that Rochard Clarke used mall attacks as as part of his Atlantic article two years ago. ( I discussed it here.)

The SLC shooting followed Clarke's scenario in some aspects: there was panic, helplessness, and an off-duty policeman played a key role in stopping the gunman. In one key feature, though, it challenged his assumptions. In Clarke's world, the mall gunmen executed shoppers by the score. In the real world, the Utah nutcase was stopped before he reached Clarkean levels of carnage.

In my critique of Clarke i suggested that civilian CCW holders could be a significant counter-force to mall shooters just as they have prevented new Columbines in some cases. Civilians did not play a role in stopping the Trolley Square killer. I think this article helps explain why.

But such rules may have caused the high number of deaths at Trolley Square, argued Larry Correia, chief financial officer of Fuzzy Bunny Movie Guns store in Draper.

"How many people left their firearms home Monday night because they were afraid of violating a rule," he said, referring to the signs at Trolley Square prohibiting firearms.

Once again, a "gun free" zone became a happy hunting ground for a nutcase.