Conceal and carry proponents often say an armed public can help prevent or reduce casualties in open-shooter scenarios, acting as de facto police officers when no actual officers are near. While the conceal and carry licensing
process involves informing licensees of pertinent laws and regulations and requires either completion of a hunter safety course or a “demonstrated capacity” to handle a firearm,
there is no state requirement that they demonstrate their ability to accurately assess threats, identify bad guys, avoid collateral damage of bystanders or maintain shooting
accuracy under stressful situations. That is to say, conceal and carry licensees do not receive police training and are not qualified to make law-enforcement-type decisions in open-shooter scenarios.
It is misleading for conceal and carry licensees or proponents to suggest they are qualified to fill this role. Suggesting otherwise is like saying a 16-year-old who can handle a car in a parking lot is by extension able to handle driving on the interstate because they know about traffic laws and can find the gas pedal.
