Perhaps it demonstrates the legislative folly in outlawing armor piercing pistol rounds, for the perceived benefit of law enforcement, which incidentally also protects people like this shooter from your typical CCW holder.
Guns work best as the equalizer in society, legislation that attempts to thwart their equalizing effect to favor one group results in such equalization being lost (for the law abiding).
Head shots sound good in games, or while shooting at the range, but while being shot at with your heart pounding and adrenaline racing they may prove a bit more difficult than you expect.
The guy was wearing body armor, head armor, used tear gas, and was armed with long guns.
A CCW holder is only going to have a pistol.
The laws say the person cannot even make the most of that pistol.
How commonly is body armor used by criminals?
More than you may realize. Rappers made it desirable to thugs.
While mass shooting nutjobs that plan attacks often obtain it beforehand.
For example quick google:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3004217.../t/police-binghamton-shooter-wore-body-armor/
Guy kills 13 people wearing body armor in mass shooting at government building.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...-seal-beach-salon-shooting-with-six-dead.html
Guy in body armor goes in and shoots up a salon killing 6, wounds 3.
The Tyler Texas shooting comes to mind:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_courthouse_shooting
There is other examples.
Body armor use in organized home invasions is also very common.
Criminals use it for the same reason the SWAT team does when they plan to invade a house.
However most organized home invasions target other criminals like those that are known to sell drugs or upset someone else in the drug game they play around in.
But body armor and/or impersonating police is common.
The natural progression of projectiles and counters and counters to the counters has been ongoing since ancient times. Armor to protect, improved projectile to defeat it, etc
However legislation in this country prevents projectile improvement as armor continues to improve and get lighter and less expensive.
Inveitably this will decrease the equality an armed society is meant to create. And in fact benefits the offensive because much of the armor is unrealistic to wear in normal life or use defensively, and so becomes primarly useful for offensive short duration use.
So while improved projectiles would have an impact on all with a gun, improved armor primarily benefits the offensive parties.
Modern technology would allow for bullets that can both expand for increased effectiveness and penetrate armor. As well as others that work by flipping or destabilizing like seen with some of the PDW rounds.
Also mechanical bullets with moving parts made of hard materials like steel can be designed (though they would cost a couple dollars+ a round and would be a market limited by those willing to pay) that can penetrate and open up or deploy spikes/blades etc after penetration to increase wound channel.
Technology is there, but you can't make that kind of a bullet out of soft materials that easily bend because that will inhibit moving parts. So the law keeps people working within narrow confines of old projectile technology.
