I commend you and your riding buddies for packing and having a means close by to protect yourself from lethal threats. In Arizona we have pretty much eliminated most of the requirements, as your state has. We are still required to follow federal laws, but there is no licensing to acquire a firearm, possess a firearm or carry a firearm, other than some restrictions allowed on government facilities and private property. And, we do have some restrictions placed on carry, open or concealed, on tribal lands. Other than that, we are pretty much free! No perfect, but getting close to it.
No license to carry openly in my state but CC license to carry concealed.....go figure that. Nevertheless, my state has the highest number of concealed carry permits in the nation and people don't hassle one another. This thread has gone all over the place. The victim took the only logical action. She did what was best for her under the circumstances. I don't care what the law says. Try to kill me and you will likely die first. Anyone that's ever been through open combat will defend themselves regardless of ROE without remorse. Everyone should be shot at or attacked like this poor woman and this thread would be a lot shorter. There are realities that few people have faced and until you do, you really don't know what you would do.