Interesting question. Assuming there are no loopholes, I really have only three choices (unless the man's reaction speed is piss-poor) 1) Do nothing. The guy might simply attempt to rob her, and she'll be shaken up but alive. Alternatively, he might kidnap her and she possibly would end up wishing to be dead. In that case, her chances of escape are likely to be slight, but still existent. 2) Make a push forward. You are then presented with two possibilities: either the man is bluffing and not ready to kill -- a more likely outcome, or he is ready and your mom will die. By pushing forward, you call the man's bluff. If he is not bluffing, though, at least you made a good gesture of bravery before your mom died. 3) Wait. Your mom is in a much better position to defend herself -- she is closer and the man's attention is almost definitely focused on you to see if you make a move. If the man is holding a gun in one hand, it's likely that she will have one limb free, and any action on her part will give her assailant much less time to react than if you were to do something. Once she gets him distracted, you can move in if necessary, but there's still a high chance your mother will die in the resulting skirmish, and in a more painful way than a quick shot to the head. At least she made the choice for herself, though. None of them are particularly appealing, but despite the risk, #2 has the highest chance of success. Good question.