Woman kills man who opened fire on a birthday party in Virginia

Danny Jones

Though this incident prevented another tragic outcome, it serves as a further reminder of how ubiquitous guns are in America

A woman in Virginia shot and killed a man with her personal firearm after he opened fire on a birthday party on Wednesday.

The woman, whose identity is yet to be released, is said to have drawn her pistol after Dennis Butler, a 37-year-old with an extensive criminal history, targeted a group of around 40 people celebrating a birthday and graduation, according to AP News.

Butler, a convicted felon, had reportedly driven past the area earlier that evening and was warned to slow down as children were playing outside an apartment complex in the city of Charleston on May 25.

He returned later and taking an AR-15 assault rifle – one of the most popular and problematic firearms in the US – started shooting at the crowd of locals. He was later pronounced dead from multiple bullet wounds.

Why can civilians buy AR-15s — Credit: Getty – The AR-15 is one the best-selling firearms in the US

Local police spokesperson Tony Hazelett said the woman’s quick reaction saved lives and may have prevented yet another mass shooting, with the Texas school massacre having occurred just a day prior and ten people killed in a Buffalo supermarket.

Speaking in a news conference following the shooting, Hazelett said that the woman was not from a law enforcement background, “she’s just a member of the community who was carrying her weapon lawfully… and instead of running from the threat she engaged with the threat and saved several lives.”

Regardless of the bystander’s heroics, many are still pointing towards how easy it seems to be for US citizens to acquire weapons, whether legally or not, as criminals like Butler are still able to obtain a fast-firing assault rifle with relative ease due to how many guns are in circulation across the country.

The concept of owning the military grade weapon used to murder 19 Texas school children is totally insane to Brits.

No one needs an assault rifle @JoeBiden pic.twitter.com/Gd0wFFRxxp

— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) May 27, 2022

Authorities confirmed that the woman will not be charged following the fatal shooting and is now cooperating with investigators as they looked to determine the man’s motivation.

There have been more than 200 mass shootings in the US in the 148 days of 2022 so far.