If they were just armed they would be alive today . . . Really?

I hear this every time a mass shooting occurs. The NRA chastised the deceased Pinckney for voting against carrying firearms in church saying those very words and now the usual suspects are saying that arming recruiters would have saved the Chattanooga five.

As I understand things the first attack occurred from a car in the parking lot in front of the recruiting station. Just how was an armed recruiter or anyone else supposed to react to that? Fifteen to thirty rounds fired from a car in the street (I counted 21 holes in the storefront from the CBS video)?

At the second scene the shooter crashed his car through a security gate and began shooting as soon as he entered the building. There's no way someone could un-holster a weapon and respond to that scenario before the four marines were shot. There was a semi auto pistol recovered at the scene that is reportedly the private weapon of one of the victims, if so this reinforces my point; there WAS a gun on site and it wasn't used.

The attacker always has the element of surprise on his side. He has selected his target, thought out his actions and is prepared while the victims are unaware of what is going to happen. His gun is drawn with a round in the chamber and safety off while a concealed weapon has to be drawn and fired even if it also has a round in the chamber and no safety. The fastest reaction time is .2 seconds to recognize what is happening and another .2 to begin to draw a weapon if the victim is EXPECTING some event. By the time a hand is laid on a defensive weapon four shots have been fired and then, with the noise and bullets flying a potential victim is supposed to draw and return fire in the least possible time? Sergeant First Class Robert Dodge, survivor of the first shooting, said as much to Rachel Maddow when answering her question about combat training. Paraphrasing, he said that in combat you have your gear, armor and your weapon at the ready because you are prepared for an attack, not like being in a civilian setting.

I'm sorry folks, but the notion that a concealed carry hero is going to save the day is pure fantasy.