"I can imagine no greater terror than being in one of those situations with no way to fight back."

I can easily imagine something far worse. A crazed gunman shooting people and being shot at by a half-dozen mall ninjas who lack the self-control to know not to shoot and who can't understand that shooting at a target that moves and shoots back is a lot harder than their range practice.

I forget the actual statistic but some time ago the a statistic came out that police miss something like 25% of the time they shoot. Which has to be something of a slanted figure. Police have the need to withhold shooting until the situation favors the shot and will not endanger others.

The average mall ninja steeped in the need for Action, the mythology that says failing to act aggressively is unmanly, with self-control and consideration of consequences as entirely secondary, I would expect the number of wild shots, and collateral damage, to be much higher than what we see with the police.

And nothing makes a policeman happier than to show up in the middle of a shootout between a malevolent shooter and a pack of witless vigilante gunmen playing out their childhood hero fantasies.

If and when the original gunman comes under your sights in such a way that your absolutely sure he is not an off-duty cop, security guard or a guy just like you. If and when the shot is so much of a sure thing that you cannot miss and conceivably put someone else at risk. If and when both of these condition are conclusively, absolutely, metaphysically, fulfilled then and only then does it make sense to shoot.

Anything short of that and your best bet is to as quickly and quietly as possible to get you and yours out of area, away from danger and to a safe location.

Hint: Except for the rare shop in malls, usually tiny kiosk type stores, almost every store has a service entrance and/or fire escape in the back. This leads to a service hall or daylight. In the case of a gunman, fire, riot or zombie attack while your in a mall the fastest way out is to enter the nearest shop, walk to the rear and to go out the back door. The counter staff may object and usually going through the door sets off an alarm but push on through. Most people forget these exits exist.

If a crazed gunman gets between you and your way out and you are armed your certainly allowed to shoot him.

The chances of being in a mall during any such event is astronomically small. Nine dead, even in a nation of 350 million, is a tragic loss but many times as many people will die this year driving to and from malls. This shooting is tragic and justifiably a headline event. But it makes me wonder why the greater loss is so often and so easily accepted as just the way it is.