An Uber driver with a concealed-carry permit may have prevented a mass shooting in Chicago recently when he shot and killed a man reportedly firing into a crowd.
A group of people walked past the 47-year-old Uber driver on the street when 22-year-old Everardo Custodio apparently started firing randomly into the group. The driver, who had a handgun in his car, got out and shot the man several times, according to the Chicago Tribune.
When police arrived, the shooter was still breathing then died at the scene. Based on initial reports, the Uber driver will not be charged.
Gun rights advocates point to cases like these to promote policies that allow concealed-carry permits in more public places. Many states currently have restrictions on exactly where permit holders can exercise their rights.
Attempting to make the case through statistics can be problematic. For one thing, mass shootings are rare, so any attempts to stop them will likewise be rare. Buzz feed compiled a list of 10 shootings that were prevented by a citizen with a gun. The Washington Post has a list that includes two more.
But as Mother Jones pointed out in 2012, not one of the 62 mass shootings over the past 30 years was prevented by a gun owner.
