Why didn't a gun-carrying conservative prevent a Texas man from killing 5 in a roller rink?

M shootings are a different critter from personal self defense. In a crowd of people unless you have a clear shot simply opening up and hoping for the best would probably kill more people. Don't forget, once you pull the trigger YOU are responsible for where that bullet goes. Even if you plug the 'm shooter' and your round pes through the bad guy and hits another person YOU are going to go to prison AND you will be sued. Most people, and pretty much ALL people who carry are aware that they have UNLIMITED legal and fiscal responsibility if they pull the trigger. Even if they bring down the crazy guy doing the shooting he, should he survive, or his family WILL sue you, and they WILL win. Self defense means that YOU personally have to be the intended victim and the bad guy has to be so close and so committed to killing you or doing you significant bodily harm that your ONLY choice is to shoot. Moreover, you're going to have to convince the DA of that. If not, you're in big trouble. I suspect that if there were any armed citizens in the crowd they were thinking that if they personally weren't 'at that moment' in danger they were not legally allowed to fire their weapons.