Calling the young man who shot a mass shooter at a mall in Greenwood, Indiana, in July a “hero” has deadly consequences. It’s not that the young man didn’t act heroically. He did. He was also lucky. It’s that calling him a hero is dangerous. Giving massive publicity to a young shooter feeds our country’s horrific violent crime crisis.
It feels like good news when we focus on the prevented deaths. However, when we examine the big picture, the hero intervening encourages more guns to be bought, with significant negative consequences. It increases the likelihood of untrained citizens engaging in cowboy-style exchanges with armed individuals, causing innocent bystanders to be killed or injured in a prolonged battle. It takes control away from professional law officers.
The 22-year-old is not one of society’s heroes in the long-term sense of the word. Giving him this label has grave consequences. It encourages imitations, many of which will not turn out well.
