[JohnKSa]

A K or N frame size gun, or a service sized pistol would have been a lot easier to engage with, with a higher probability of a better outcome for all but the BG.

A friend of mine had two blowouts on the same day a couple of months back. I know it COULD happen to me, but I'm going to stick with just carrying one spare tire.

I've read about situations where people have been without power and utilities for weeks and I know it COULD happen here, but the 3-5 days of drinking water I usually have on hand is as far as I'm willing to go.

I've read about incidents like the Tyler Courthouse shooting (happened not many miles from here--I've actually been there a few times), the North Hollywood shootout, and now the Aurora Theater shooting that all involved bad guys with rifles and body armor. I know it COULD happen to me, but I'm still going to keep carrying an 8 shot 9mm and a spare magazine.

Now I do make sure my tires and my spare are in good condition, I make sure I rotate the water so it doesn't get too old and I maintain my carry gun and make sure I can use it properly, but there has to be a limit somewhere and I've found mine. I've already thought these things through and come up with the compromise between total preparedness and total unpreparedness that works for me.

The circumstances were a dark room full of chaos with a random shooter, you seem to be saying that a pocket sized 380 would stand as much chance as a full frame, easier to shoot pistol in this case?

Maybe not exactly the same chance, but I don't believe that the difference would have been sufficient to effect a different outcome. Going back to the spare tire analogy, if I have two blowouts, even the best spare tire on the market won't help, it's simply not sufficient for the task at hand. It's not that clearcut in this situation, but the lesson is the same. Sometimes what you have available isn't enough to solve the problem that confronts you.

Mark Wilson (shooting range owner who lived near the Tyler Courthouse) had a full-sized .45ACP pistol, engaged Arroyo (armored rifleman) in broad daylight without people running around to confuse him and with no tear gas in the air. Wilson scored a hit or two on Arroyo that had no effect and then Arroyo killed him. The North Hollywood bandits were engaged by multiple police officers shooting shotguns and full-sized pistols. They soaked up a lot of hits and kept on shooting.

It's not really a matter of what pistol you have, going up against an armored rifleman with a pistol is not a winning proposition.

Looks like his vest turned out to just be a "tactical" vest, and not body armor.

What's the source for this?

The Aurora Chief of Police stated clearly in the official press conference that the shooter was wearing torso body armor, neck protection, limb protection, groin protection and a ballistic helmet. I could see someone getting a standard ballistic vest confused with a tactical vest and reporting that incorrectly, but the rest of it doesn't play.