Being a 'good guy with a gun' only accomplished through training

TAMPA (FOX 13) - In Sutherland Springs, Texas, an armed witness fired at - and wounded - a crazed church shooter. At Great Mills High School in Southern Maryland, a resource officer fired back and stopped a school shooter. In Oklahoma City, two bystanders shot and killed a gunman outside Louie's Grill & Bar.

Though not true in every case, for the survivors of these, the old adage rings true: The best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

Debbie Doggett said she was thankful to be a witness - not a victim - of the shooting in Oklahoma City.

"We just felt so fortunate that there was someone there who was able to stop it," she said.

Matt Pelham manages Shootings Sports on Dale Mabry in Tampa. He says always knowing your surroundings and staying alert are the first steps in being gun-smart.

“I'd say you defiantly need to be prepared. Training is important,” Pelham said. ”Just as important as carrying a gun is looking for an escape route. The gun is never going to be your first answer. The first answer is to run and take cover."

In a worst-case scenario, you may have no choice but to act.

Florida is arguably the most gun-ready state - leading the nation in concealed carry permit holders, of which there are more than 1.7 million.

Pelham says, for those thinking about joining that club:

“For a beginner, try as many guns as you can before purchasing and talk to an instructor,” he said.