Should armed civilians take action in an active shooter situation? Worcester County Police Chiefs say the answer is complicated. Webster Chief Michael Shaw says seconds matter and well-trained civilians could stop tragedy before officers arrive. Shaw, "You should train and try to simulate high-stress situations, get your heart rate elevated and then try to shoot because it's a big difference than just shooting paper in a relaxed atmosphere as opposed to under a little bit of stress."

The discussion is coming up again after a gunman shot and killed two people inside a Texas church in December. Authorities say more people could have been killed if volunteers on the church security team didn't step in and shoot the gunman. Shaw adds, "We can't be everywhere. (The Texas shooting is a) perfect example, a lot of these situations are going to be over before we arrive."

Berlin Police Chief Tom Galvin also thinks armed civilians can help, but he has safety concerns. Galvin says an armed civilian could hit an innocent bystander or get themselves hurt. "Your fine motor skills are gonna go, you may get tunnel vision, all these things are gonna happen that you need to overcome. And once you pull the trigger and the bullet leaves the barrel of that gun, there's no taking it back,"

Galvin also says it could be a challenge for police who are responding. "When we arrive on scene and someone has a gun, that's going to definitely draw our attention. So we're going to take action on that. The problem is, we don't know if that's a good Samaritan to help out or if that's the actual perpetrator of the attack or incident."

Chief Shaw says anyone with a gun license should take classes to make sure their skills are fresh. "It's a perishable skill. It's something you need to get training on and something you need to stay current on that training and practice."