Do pistols require aiming for each shot? instead of just spraying the room with bullets?

[xiamiam]

I 'm sorry to sound to stupid about this but I thought, until a few moments ago, that the shooter just sprayed bullets with an automatic weapon. I just read here that he used pistols? Wouldn't that require a level of profiency at actually shooting targets? Did he have to reload?

[FarCenter]

1. Since there were no wounded he probably aimed and at very close distance.

At close range, it would not require any particular expertise.

Just spraying a room with bullets would result in many wounded and a few dead.

[xiamiam]

7. thanks, I thought I had processed this but actually shooting each person one by one

each child...

[slackmaster]

2. Yes, all firearms require some form of aiming in order to hit something reliably

Wouldn't that require a level of profiency at actually shooting targets?

It just came out in the news this morning that the shooter's mother, who he killed, was an avid target shooter and that she had taught her sons how to shoot.

[madokie]

8. Eye to hand coordination

In some people is all the aim they need
From the hip my grand mother could pick a rabbit off at a 100 paces with a 22 no problem. I'm pretty good but no where as good as she was.
This still comes under what you said about aiming even though its sub-conscience.
I used to be able to hit a tossed soda can with my pellet rifle without aiming as close to the hip as you can get and still fire upwards as this was.

[Lizzie Poppet]

3. Both pistols and semi-auto rifles require aiming.

Fully-automatic weapons (which are very rarely seen in the US) can be effective using "spray and pray" techniques, but only under certain circumstances...and you exhaust your ammunition really, really fast. Semi-automatics, whether handguns or rifles, require aiming to have any kind of accuracy under most circumstances.

Given the capacities of the handguns used and the number of people shot, I strongly suspect he did indeed reload at least one of his pistols. He wouldn't have needed to be all that proficient, given he very close range at which he was shooting. Only basic competence would have been needed, something one can attain in a single session of practice (although anything beyond that requires a lot of time spent). Firearms are pretty easy to use, at least at a basic level.

[dawg]

4. He probably had to aim at each one of them.

There was something very wrong with this individual.

[Edweird]

5. An analogy would be throwing stuff in a wastebasket.

If you walk up to the wastebasket it requires no thought to get it in. Try it from across the room and you need to aim. Just throwing without regard to aim from across the room would result in a few in, some bouncing off the side but most ending up on the ground.

[Drahthaardogs]

6. Every gun requires you to pick a target and fire.

"Spraying" as you call it only works in the movies. Shoot into a flock of geese without picking out a bird and swinging and you will miss 999 out of 1000 times. At the ranges we are talking, pointing a pistol and firing is pretty easy to do and maintain reasonable accuracy. Think of pointing your finger at the the door.


Also, he did not have an automatic weapon. Those are high regulated mostly illegal and even military guys do not fire their weapons in full auto mode. Too inaccurate. He used an M-4 carbine chambered in .223 that was semi-automatic. The .223 is much more lethal than the pistols. It is a classic hunting and military round. Used mostly for varmints and whitetailed deer. It is considered too small for mule deer and elk and is not allowed for their hunting in most western states.

Did he have to reload? It depends on what kind of stupid high capacity magazine he had. That is the real problem here. Yes, high capacity mags that let a shoot have upwards of 100 rounds without reloading are now legal because the Assault Rifle Ban susnsetted and Bush would not re-instate it.

[Eleanors38]

9. I was under the impression he used pistols...

Do you have a link indicating what weapon was used? Thanks.

[Drahthaardogs]

11. It is also reported he used an M4 Carbine .223.

If that has changed I may be wrong, but as of 6 AM when I read the papers, they were reporting he had an M4.

[FarCenter]

12. I believe it was a Bushmaster .223, and it was found in his car.

The Glock and Sig Sauer were used inside.

Not sure, but he might have used the .223 to shoot out the glass by/in the door to gain entry.

[NoMoreWarNow]

13. now they are saying the Bushmaster was inside the school and a fourth weapon was in his car

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/cbs-school-shooter-carried-4-weapons-to-scene

[ProgressiveProfessor]

15. Media reports have been all over the map

Franky the weapons type and discussion can wait until the facts are known. Too much blovating on it as it is.

Right now it is time to care for the living and dead victims...

[Eleanors38]

16. I heard that as well, but reports had it in a car. We'll see.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

14. The media reports are all over the place about a Bushmaster rifle in 223

There has been a lot of bad gouge in the media...identities, occupation etc. Current take is the the rifle was in the car and he died inside.

Note it was not an M-4 which is illegal for civilian ownership in the US

[newfie11]

10. Yep one by one

That fucker shot them