Tracy Williams does not appear to have had much experience with firearms. It was a desperate situation that drove her to buy guns and take a CCW class. She had broken up with her boyfriend, who had a long criminal record. He had kidnapped her, she had escaped and filed charges. He was out on $75,000 bail when he attacked her three weeks later.
During that period she had obtained the firearms and a concealed carry permit. North Carolina requires an 8 hour course, including live fire, and an $80 non-refundable fee to obtain a permit.
From abc7chicago.com:
Green said Williams shot her ex as he attacked her around 5 p.m. in the parking lot of a Food Lion on U.S. 1 near a Cash Points ATM. Police said Williams’ gun then jammed and Yarborough fatally shot her.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Williams in front of the ATM with two guns, while the suspect’s gun was missing. They believe she was trying to defend herself.
Tap, Rack, Bang is the go-to procedure, though some feel it wiser to practice an intelligent assessment/reaction method where you try a fast diagnosis before applying a prescription – especially with rifles/carbines. If you own a hi-cap semi rifle, you may have had the fun of a spent casing in the chamber, and a fresh cartridge ripped off the mag jammed up against it. I’d lean toward a quick look while behind cover to try and get up and running with some degree of certainty, rather than simply running a drill, and exposing yourself to fire with a gun which may not go bang. But each situation is different, and time constraints can vary.
There is no substitute for shooting, and using each malfunction as a teaching opportunity to decide how you would respond, if seconds meant life, and failure was death.
Apocalypse Cometh™
It’s always sad when people who try to defend themselves fail and are killed due to lack of experience and reliable equipment. Too many people seem to think that a gun is some sort of magic wand that they can wave at a threat and kill them instantly. They don’t understand that just as with any other weapon you have to wield it with care and skill, lest it be as much a danger to you as it is to your enemy.