There are a couple of things that influence this:dicion wrote:I was thinking the same thing. I'm amazed that everyone in the building also didn't get up, scream 'MAN WITH A GUN!!', raise their hands above their head and run for their lives, trampling eachother as they ran for the door.chabouk wrote: What? Surely there have to be scores of stories about someone knocking them in the head to take their guns... we're promised regularly that's what will happen if we can legally practice open carry!
Does the guy 'look' like a LEO? I know not all LEO's have the look, but many do. If the person could pass for a LEO, then folks 'assume' that maybe he is, just like the OP did.
If the person doesn't take on the look of a LEO (long hair, biker tats, Banditos vest, etc.) then the alarm level goes up and the 'man with a gun' call gets made. It can also depend on what type of gun is being carried and how. Nice leather holster, high-end 1911 vs a High-point stuck in the belt or plastic paddle holster, etc can make a difference too.
Let's face it, people who see a person with a gun are going to profile them. If they don't shrug it off the fact that they are possibly a LEO in their mind, then the potential for a MWAG call is going to become a real possibility.