The question pretty much covers it, but I will elaborate. Let's imagine I am in a public place, such as a mall, or some other large gathering of people, when I hear gunshots ring out. Let's say that I am armed with a lawfully acquired and registered firearm, with a concealed carry permit. As I approach the location of the gunshots, I see a man armed with an assault rifle, gunning people down. To be clear, I witness this man killing others. In response, I raise my weapon and fire several rounds at the man while rushing him. He drops to the ground, and I grab his weapon, then go about performing first aid to all of the victims that I can.
After is it all over, forensics comes on scene and processes all the evidence. Probably weeks or months later, it is discovered that a pistol round, not a rifle round, is the cause of death for one of the victims, and they match that round to my weapon. Could I be held criminally and/or civilly responsible? Are there any specific laws that cover this specific scenario? If the state matters for the answer, I care about these states in order:
- Colorado
- California
- Texas
- Florida
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Illinois
If you cannot find an answer for any of these states specifically, I will accept any state.
***It would be a huge bonus if you could include any actual incidents in which, either, a Good Samaritan who is trying to save someone else's life, accidentally shoots a bystander, or a case in which someone defending themselves accidentally shoots a bystander, regardless of whether or not the person faced criminal or civil proceedings. To be clear, I am NOT talking about any case in which the person who accidentally shot the bystander is a law enforcement officer, as I know they are covered by different laws. Thanks.