Legally Armed Woman Kills Gunman At Birthday Party In West Virginia
The world has been reeling from the shocking Texas school shooting in which 19 schoolchildren and two teachers were shot dead by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos.
The deadly attack reignited the debate on private gun ownership in the United States (US). Ramos had purchased two rifles legally before the shooting spree.
But on Wednesday (25 May), a female bystander at a party in West Virginia saved the day when she shot dead a criminal who had opened fire at a group of about 40 people. She was carrying a weapon legally.
The man, a felon, was found dead at the scene. The police said they would not be filing charges against the woman.
Man opens fire at birthday party in Charleston, West Virginia
According to BBC News, Dennis Butler was shot dead by a woman after he opened fire on a crowd attending a birthday party in Charleston, West Virginia, on the night of 25 May.
The 37-year-old Butler had an extensive criminal record.
Source: Gateway Pundit
CBS News reported that Butler had driven by an apartment complex earlier in the evening and was warned to slow down because children were playing nearby.
He left but returned later, parked in front of the complex, and began firing a semi-automatic AR-15 type rifle from his vehicle into a crowd of about 40 people who were reportedly attending a birthday party outside the apartment complex.
Fortunately, none of the party attendees was harmed.
Woman pulls out pistol, shoots man dead in West Virginia
A woman who happened to be at the scene pulled out her pistol and shot Butler dead.
She appears to be a bystander and has not been identified. She does not appear to have a law enforcement background, said BBC News.
Police spokesman Tony Hazelett said her “quick reaction” saved lives and may have prevented a mass shooting.
She’s just a member of the community who was carrying her weapon lawfully. And instead of running from the threat, she engaged with the threat and saved several lives.
After shooting Butler dead, the woman remained at the scene along with several witnesses and waited for the police to arrive. All of them have cooperated with the investigation.
The police added they would not be filing charges against the woman.
Man shot dead was a convicted felon
Butler was found dead at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds. It is unclear how he could have obtained the weapon as he was a convicted felon and not allowed to carry firearms.
Sources say he had been arrested at least 20 times in West Virginia alone, where he had maliciously wounded a woman.
He had also previously been arrested in Pennsylvania.
Divisive debate on gun ownership not likely to be resolved soon
By her actions, the woman likely saved dozens of lives and prevented another tragedy from taking place.
We applaud her for her quick thinking and bravery. It is a relief that she was in the right place at the right time.
However, the incident will likely add fuel to the raging debate regarding gun ownership.
While many have called for gun ownership laws to be abolished, others have cited their necessity for self-defence, such as in this instance.
While there is no easy solution, we hope that something can be done soon to end this impasse.
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Featured image adapted from Shutterstock via NY Post for illustration purposes only.Â
