the number of shootings wouldnt go down maybe but the number of fatalities at these shootings likely would. you said it yourself that you prefer the AR-15 for home protection and mentioned how quickly you can reload and whatnot. thats the same reason someone would choose that weapon specifically for a mass shooting
What makes you think the number of deaths would drop if handguns are used? Handguns are designed to kill people at close range. I would prefer an AR for home defense over a handgun, but that's mainly because it's much more difficult to wrestle away than a handgun. I'd pick a handgun over a shotgun for home defense due to the higher capacity and ease of reloading.
Given that, would you give up your ability to own an AR to keep that massacre from happening? If no, Why not?
No, if someone is determined to kill people he can find a different method, and ARs have been used multiple times to keep people safe. You've got to look at both sides.
Element of surprise is when you are living life and some psycho starts shooting. Doesn't matter how small the gun is if someone can sit up in a hotel room at a distance and rain down fire at a crowd of people with an AR-15 "sporting rifle".
That is still the element of surprise.
Nobody is ready for any of these things. That's why when people say....oh if he just had a gun he would have stopped this.
The colorado shootings had people with guns in the movie theatre. Even if you think to fire back and not take complete cover.....which most are thinking "run" or take cover....but if they did fire back they are still outmatched by the AR-15
Element of surprise is also when someone who has been sitting in church for an hour pulls out a gun and starts killing people off. Handguns are easier to conceal, so it allows the bad guy to pick his spot.
The Colorado shooting was in a gun free zone, and Holmes went out the back door, propped it open, got his guns and ammo, and went back in and started shooting. If they fire back, one shot could easily have killed him.
