Because people value their own lives over others you can not blame them for not wanting to be the hero. When someone is pointing the gun specifically at you and threatening only you then the situation is different. You will be more likely to take action when you or someone you have a deep connection with is involved. For all you know the gunman already has his targets set. He may have only killed the teacher who wouldn't listen, the girl who wouldn't date him, and the guy who called him skinny; by being a hero you added one more to his death toll. Further more you attacking him could send him over the edge and make him think EVERYONE is agasint him not just the four he planned on killing.
In these situations peoples survival instict kicks in, the most logical way of saving your life is to at first do nothing, once you see him kill without reason start playing dead. No its not noble, no its not honorable, but its is the intelligent thing to do to secure ones own life. A few peoples instincts tell them to attack the assailent and sometimes not even to save everyone. They just do what their impulses say and unlike everyone else it is not to hide. Often times its the "heroes" who planned on saving everyone who end up cowering in fear and the person who actually stands up is someone you wouldn't expect. Instincts aren't something you can change through discourse.
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*quack*
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