Reports are coming in that the mass stabbing reported earlier today at the University of Texas Austin campus was stopped by a legally armed student with a handgun. According to social media postings by the current UT Austin student body president a student with a concealed handgun license saw the stabbing attack in progress, drew his firearm, and chased down the attacker. If true, there’s little doubt that the quick action on the part of this legally armed student may have stopped the attacker from injuring and possibly killing more people.
UPDATE: Later reports from the same source indicate that the earlier report about an armed student are unconfirmed. However there is additional supporting evidence posted by another user on social media claiming to have been the CHL holder in question.
Texas recently passed legislation enabling students with a concealed handgun license to carry their handgun in most areas of campus, excluding lab areas and other sensitive locations. A group of students and staff opposed this new legislation by forming the group Gun Free UT, organizing a dildo-filled “cocks not GLOCKs” protest, and proclaiming that carrying concealed handguns on campus will make UT less safe not more safe. There is no comment yet from Gun Free UT about this particular event.
Making this story more interesting is the fact that the armed student reportedly stopped the mass stabber without firing a single shot. Concealed carry opponents constantly use the argument that civilians aren’t as well trained as police officers and will cause more harm than good in an emergency situation, but as this case illustrates that’s a complete and total fabrication. Even in the heat of the moment the CHL holder in this case understood that it was more dangerous to fire his gun in the middle of campus than to simply chase the mass stabber away.
For those keeping score, organizations such as The Trace will refuse to classify this incident as a defensive gun use since the knife wielding attacker was not killed and no rounds were fired by the CHL holder.