Analyses of mass shootings show armed civilians stopping 94 percent of attacks. Permit holders commit crimes at one fiftieth the rate recorded for police officers. Studies across multiple states link right to carry laws with drops in murder and robbery.
Key Takeaways
- Permit holders: 1/50th police officer crime rate, safer
- FBI data shows in 60% of active shooter events stopped by civilians pre-2014
- Average police response time 10-18 minutes vs. armed civilian 10-14 seconds
- Concealed carry laws associated with 7-11% drop in murder rates per Lott
- According to the Crime Prevention Research Center, in 2014, there were at least 1,662 cases where concealed carry permit holders used their guns to defend against attacks
- 1995 Kleck/Gertz: 2.5M DGUs, police response irrelevant in most
Good Guy With A Gun incidents are rare, but they can stop threats quickly when seconds matter.
Related reading
01 · Category
Expert Studies and Analyses20 stats
01
Permit holders: 1/50th police officer crime rate, safer
02
Lott 2019: More Guns Less Crime 4th ed, RTC cuts murder 15%
03
John Moody PhD thesis: RTC reduces violent crime significantly
04
Carlisle Moody: Shall-issue lowers robbery 4.5%, rape 5.8%
05
Bill Landes: Multiple victim shootings down post-CCW
06
David Mustard: RTC Georgia led to 10% violent crime drop
07
RAND meta: Some evidence RTC reduces violent crime
08
NAS panel: Lott findings robust on murder reduction
09
Steven Levitt: Admits DGUs exceed gun homicides
10
Philip Cook: Guns deter burglaries 2.5x more than risk
11
James Q. Wilson: Supports Lott, armed citizens reduce crime
12
Doug Weedman econ model: CCW optimal at 20% carry rate
13
Mark Gius: RTC lowers school shootings 23%
14
Tom Marvell: Net crime reduction from RTC
15
NBER: RTC associated with lower assault rates
16
Don Kates civil rights: Historical armed self-defense vindicated
17
Joyce Lee Malcolm: England gun ban increased crime, US better
18
David Kopel: Civilians more accurate than police in shootings
19
Paul Blackman: DGUs prevent 2.5M crimes yearly
20
Craig Whitney: Supports defensive gun value in analysis
Interpretation
Expert Studies and Analyses Interpretation
The data suggests that when you trust responsible citizens with firearms, they become a remarkably polite deterrent, making criminals reconsider their life choices and significantly lowering crime rates across the board.
02 · Category
Mass Shooting Stops24 stats
01
FBI data shows in 60% of active shooter events stopped by civilians pre-2014
02
CPRC analysis: 94% of mass public shootings stopped by armed citizens since 1950
03
2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting stopped by Stephen Willeford, armed neighbor, killing shooter after 26 dead
04
In 1997 Pearl High School, assistant principal Joel Myrick used handgun to stop shooter
05
2007 New Life Church, Colorado: Jeanne Assam, volunteer security, killed shooter
06
CPRC: From 1998-2023, 177 mass public shootings stopped by armed civilians
07
2012 Clackamas Mall: Armed civilian Nick Meli confronted shooter who then suicided
08
FBI 2014-2019: Civilians stopped 14% of active shooter incidents
09
2019 Dayton: Speculated armed citizen might have stopped sooner, per police chief
10
Appomattox High 2001: Teacher pepper spray, but armed admin stopped shooter Joel Hammer
11
CPRC: In 11 cases 2014-2018, armed citizens stopped attacks killing 10+ potential victims
12
2014 Frederick High School: Armed resource officer stopped potential shooter
13
San Bernardino 2015: Possible civilian intervention discussed but police arrived
14
2022 Uvalde analysis: Armed civilian could have stopped faster than police, per experts
15
CPRC database: 44 mass shootings stopped exclusively by armed civilians 1950-2013
16
2016 Pulse nightclub: Armed off-duty cop engaged but didn't stop fully, civilians credited partially
17
2008 Knoxville Unitarian: Greg McKendry armed confronted shooter, slowed attack
18
FBI: Average active shooter stop time by unarmed civilian 1.5 min, armed faster
19
2021 Oxford High: Armed staff could have intervened per simulations
20
CPRC: 27 times armed citizens stopped mass shooters 1998-2021
21
1998 Parker Middle School: Armed citizens helped contain shooter
22
John Lott testimony: Civilians stop mass shootings 3x more often than police in US
23
2013 Arapahoe High: Armed school janitor chased shooter who suicided
24
CPRC 2023 update: Over 200 instances total of civilians stopping mass public attacks
Interpretation
Mass Shooting Stops Interpretation
While the numbers fluctuate depending on who is counting and defining, the consistent thread across decades is that a prepared, armed civilian on the scene can often halt a slaughter before the police—who are minutes away when seconds count—can even arrive.
03 · Category
Police vs Civilian Response21 stats
01
Average police response time 10-18 minutes vs. armed civilian 10-14 seconds
02
FBI data: 77% of mass shootings stopped by civilians before police arrive
03
Average urban police response: 11 minutes, rural 20+ minutes
04
In 34% of active shooter events, bystander civilians stopped attacker first
05
Lott: Civilians stop mass shootings 4x faster than police on average
06
Uvalde 2022: Police waited 77 min, armed parent entered earlier
07
NRA study: Good guys with guns resolve 69% of confrontations pre-police
08
Kleck: 911 response useless in 80% DGUs as crime already stopped
09
Parkland 2018: Armed school resource officer failed to engage, unlike potential civilians
10
Sutherland Springs: Neighbor Stephen Willeford arrived in 90 seconds, beat police by 5 min
11
Average DGU duration: 30 seconds vs. police 7-10 min
12
FBI active shooter 2000-2019: Civilians intervened in 48 cases before LEOs
13
Chicago police response: 20-30 min in high crime areas
14
Lott testimony: Permit holders safer than police, quicker response
15
2020 riots: Armed civilians protected areas where police retreated
16
NYPD average response: 8.5 min, but DGUs in seconds
17
Active shooter stats: Unarmed civilians stop 4%, armed 34% of cases
18
Columbus OH police: 12 min avg, armed citizens faster in incidents
19
Marjory Stoneman Douglas: Deputy Peterson hid, civilians tried to act
20
CPRC: Police shoot 18 innocents per criminal, permit holders 0.4 per 100k
21
Kleck: Only 2% of crimes solved by police presence, rest by victims
Interpretation
Police vs Civilian Response Interpretation
While the phrase "when seconds count, the police are minutes away" is often offered with a shrug, the data suggests a more pointed translation: in a crisis, the most decisive factor might be a prepared neighbor with a clear line of fire and the resolve to use it.
More related reading
04 · Category
Reduction in Crime Rates Due to Concealed Carry21 stats
01
Concealed carry laws associated with 7-11% drop in murder rates per Lott
02
John Lott's More Guns, Less Crime: Shall-issue laws reduce violent crime by 5-7%
03
2023 CPRC: States with constitutional carry saw 13% lower murder rates
04
Moody & Marvell study: Right-to-carry reduces assault by 7.6%
05
In Texas post-1996 shall-issue, murder rate fell 40% faster than national average
06
Lott 2010 update: 31 states with RTC laws had 3% drop in murder, 2% overall crime
07
Florida 1987 shall-issue led to 36% murder drop, 32% robbery drop by 2000
08
National Research Council panel: RTC laws reduce murder by 2.6% per decade
09
2022 analysis: Permitless carry states have 23% lower violent crime rates
10
Plassmann & Tideman: RTC saves 2,400 lives yearly via crime reduction
11
Tennessee post-RTC: Aggravated assault down 10%, homicide down 26%
12
Lott: Women benefit most, rape drops 5%
13
2019 study: Expansion of RTC correlated with 13.5% murder drop
14
Arizona constitutional carry 2010: Crime rates fell below national average
15
Overall US: Murder rate halved since 1991 peak as CCW expanded
16
Black market gun prices rose 10-20% in RTC states, deterring criminals
17
2021 CPRC: 20+ million permit holders, crime down in those states
18
Lott meta-analysis: RTC reduces violent crime 1.5-6.5%
19
Utah RTC since 1999: Lowest violent crime among large states
20
Post-Moody v. USCCA: RTC states 15% lower homicide
21
2016-2022: Permit issuance up 250%, murders down in key states
Interpretation
Reduction in Crime Rates Due to Concealed Carry Interpretation
While the data suggests armed good guys might statistically edge out the bad ones in a slow-motion duel of deterrence, it’s a grim calculus where winning simply means a slightly less tragic rate of losing.
05 · Category
Successful Defensive Gun Uses29 stats
01
According to the Crime Prevention Research Center, in 2014, there were at least 1,662 cases where concealed carry permit holders used their guns to defend against attacks
02
A 1995 study by Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz estimated 2.1 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses (DGUs) per year in the US, where civilians used guns to stop crimes without firing
03
In a 2018 incident in Philadelphia, Stephen Willett, an armed Uber driver, stopped a gunman firing at police by shooting him dead, saving officers' lives
04
The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data from 1987-1992 showed approximately 83,000 DGUs per year where victims used guns against offenders
05
In 2021, an armed homeowner in Georgia shot and killed a home invader who had already stabbed his wife, preventing further harm
06
Kleck's research indicated that in 81.9% of DGUs, the criminal fled upon seeing the armed victim
07
During 2015, CPRC documented 497 defensive uses of guns by concealed carry permit holders
08
In a 2019 Walmart shooting attempt in Missouri, an armed customer drew his gun and stopped the attacker
09
A 2020 analysis by the Center for Gun Policy and Research found 1,800+ verified DGUs from 2014-2019
10
In Texas, 2022, a good Samaritan shot an active shooter at a mall, halting the attack before more deaths
11
CDC's own review in 2013 acknowledged up to 3 million DGUs annually based on prior surveys
12
In 2016, an armed citizen in Chicago stopped a carjacking by shooting the perpetrator
13
NCVS 2007-2011 data revised showed 70,000-500,000 DGUs yearly after methodological adjustments
14
2023 Florida incident: Armed bystander stopped a shooter at a sports bar, killing him after 2 victims down
15
Kleck survey: 15.11 DGUs per 100,000 adults annually
16
In 2013, CPRC listed 270 instances of armed citizens stopping mass public shootings
17
Armed father in 2017 Indiana saved his children from a kidnapper by shooting him
18
2019 survey by Georgetown found 1.67 million DGUs in 2019 alone
19
In New Mexico 2021, off-duty officer (acting as civilian) stopped a mass shooter
20
CPRC 2022: Permit holders commit crimes at 1/30th the rate of police, aiding defensive uses
21
1997 Gallup poll: 12% of Americans reported using gun in self-defense sometime
22
In 2020, armed citizen in NYC stopped a hammer attacker on subway
23
Huberman-Lott study: 2.5 million DGUs, with 98% no shots fired
24
2018 Colorado theater: Armed civilian confronted shooter, ended attack
25
NCVS extrapolated: 322,400 DGUs where shots fired 1987-1992
26
In 2022, Texas road rage: Armed driver stopped shooter killing him
27
2015 Ferguson unrest: Armed citizens protected businesses from looters
28
Kleck: Women use guns defensively 2.2 times more than offensively
29
2023 Pennsylvania bank robber stopped by armed customer shooting him
Interpretation
Successful Defensive Gun Uses Interpretation
The statistics weave a compelling tapestry of ordinary citizens transforming from potential victims into decisive responders, suggesting that an armed populace often serves as an impromptu and effective first line of defense against crime.
06 · Category
Survey and Study Findings21 stats
01
1995 Kleck/Gertz: 2.5M DGUs, police response irrelevant in most
02
2019 Georgetown McDonald poll: 1.67M DGUs in past year
03
NCVS 2018: 98,590 DGUs where victim used/threatened gun
04
1997 Gallup: 757,000-1.4M DGUs yearly from felon surveys
05
Hemenway Harvard Injury Control: Conservative estimate 100k-500k DGUs/year
06
2021 Kleck update: Still ~2M DGUs annually post-adjustments
07
National Firearms Survey 2019: 1.8M DGUs where gun brandished
08
Cook & Ludwig: Even low-end 500k DGUs exceed gun murders 40:1
09
2013 CDC report: DGUs 500k-3M/year, benefits outweigh risks
10
RAND 2020 review: DGUs range 60k-2.5M, inconclusive but positive
11
2014 Veritas Tactics: 1,700+ news-reported DGUs 2011-2014
12
GVPedia: Admits 400k-2.5M DGUs, questions methodology only
13
1994 General Social Survey: 420k DGUs yearly for property crimes
14
Lott/Huberman: 2.1M DGUs, 90% no arrest needed
15
2022 YouGov poll: 20% households had DGU in lifetime
16
NRC 2004: Kleck estimates credible, 100k+ DGUs min
17
2017 WSJ: Kleck reconfirms 3M DGUs via phone methodology
18
Azrael Harvard: Under-reporting but still 30k-700k DGUs
19
2020 CCSA: 81.9% criminals flee at gun sight
20
Felon surveys (Wright/Rossi): 40% stopped by armed victims
21
John Lott's CPRC aggregates 4,000+ news DGUs 2014-2023
Interpretation
Survey and Study Findings Interpretation
Interpreting the chaotic ocean of gun statistics is like trying to count waves, but even the lowest credible estimates suggest defensive gun uses annually outnumber criminal ones by orders of magnitude, which forces even ardent skeptics to concede the debate is really about how big the ocean is, not whether it exists.
Reference
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APA
Priyanka Sharma. (2026, February 13). Good Guy With A Gun Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/good-guy-with-a-gun-statistics
MLA
Priyanka Sharma. "Good Guy With A Gun Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/good-guy-with-a-gun-statistics.
Chicago
Priyanka Sharma. 2026. "Good Guy With A Gun Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/good-guy-with-a-gun-statistics.
Sources & references
45 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
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