Police say two armed bystanders stopped put an end to a shooting spree at a New Orleans gun store.
From the Washington Examiner:
The shooting took place near a gun store and range west of New Orleans on Saturday. Two people were shot dead by the suspect, then armed bystanders opened fire and killed the gunman, according to police.
“Arriving deputies located several victims suffering from gunshot wounds,” the Jefferson Parish sheriff said in a statement. “Three individuals were pronounced dead on the scene, and two more were transported to a local hospital for treatment. The two transported victims are in stable condition.”
While employees of the gun store typically wear sidearms to work, police didn’t say whether the employees themselves were the bystanders that helped stop the spree. However, they did say multiple bystanders were involved in taking the gunman down.
The suspect started shooting inside the store and attempted to continue the violence outside the building when they were engaged by the armed bystanders:
“At this time, it appears a suspect shot two victims inside the location, then was engaged and shot outside the location by multiple other individuals,” the sheriff’s statement continued. “The suspect is one of the deceased on scene.”
Details on the suspect have not been released.
“We heard the gunshots and the screaming,” Tyrone Russell, who was in a conceal-and-carry course at the time, said, according to Fox News. “When the police came, they escorted us out. I could see glass everywhere … It was just like a really scary scene.”
As the violence escalated outside a nearby Taco Bell was forced to be evacuated and multiple cars in the surrounding area were struck by bullets.
With a new administration in Washington, conversation has often turned to a renewed push for gun control. Just over a month into office, President Biden has invoked some of the country’s most tragic shooting incidents in a call for tougher gun legislation.
But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that studies indicate guns are used much more often in self-defense than they are in crimes. Multiple studies have concluded that Americans use guns in self-defense anywhere from 500,000 – 3 million times per year.
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