I really don't see a bright line cutoff as to age... I clearly recall Springfield, OR and Kip Kinckle (Q-ball, you are much closer to Springfield than I am here in The People's Democratic Republic of Portland... were you there at the time???). Not to mention Columbine. Just a coupla high profile reminders of kids gone wrong.
My best thought on it... Observe, Assess, and Act (not react as that puts you on the defensive all the time, but then again I am sure I am preaching to the choir here). When in doubt, seek out good cover and wait it out while still observing and assessing and acting on your intell as needed, y'know call the cops, seek an escape route, get a good description of said yute.
A threat is a threat, but if you hesitate... if you are not fully committed to eliminate the threat at that very moment... then it is my belief that it is for a reason. Like the mystery weapon across the river. Unsure whether it was a legitimate threat and took cover. Cool! Good move IMHO. I was reading about the guy who drew down on the suburban full of teens after they blocked his escape route and piled out of the vehicle, one with an airsoft gun that had the muzzle thingie blackened out. That would make me taste bile! My thoughts on that are if he didn't drop his "weapon" and boogie out of there like he did, I would have fired on him. (4 to 1, no easy escape route that would get me out of danger without him getting the drop on me, closing in on me with a weapon in hand... yeah, I would have had to drop him)
Way, way too many variables in each individual situation for a hard and fast, bright line rule.
I just want to say, thanks to all for some very thought provoking posts. Exercising my grey matter in this all too important realm of CCW is good for me. Forgive me if the posts are long, but they DO make me think, and I like to share and I like to learn.
Michael
"Your Tax Dollars at Rest":smoke23: