Well, for one, Stainless I didn't think theaters were inherently PFZs unless:
A: They have a capacity of over 2500 or
B: They have a liquor license.
In Michigan, I mean. I am aware this incident happened in CO
Am I incorrect here?
Secondly:
I have been thinking about this, since I'm seeing the movie tonight, and frankly it depends. Is it tiered seating? How smoky was the room? Are you with family who you are responsible for protecting or are you alone? It sounded like the gunman was firing from the aisle into the crowd. Depending on where you were sitting, theres a decent chance of having a clear shot and even decent cover depending on the layout of the theater.
Just because his chest is armored does not mean his head, arms, and legs are too, and in a situation like that I would think, provided you can do so safely, you should shoot whatever is available, for as long as it is available, until something else becomes available.
Use your own judgement but look at the sides of the theater in the below picture.
Best image I could find, but the local Star has walls like this that go from the top of the tiered seating area [about 20 feet up] to about midway though the theater, with the entrances being down that hallway and underneath the seats/projection booth. That setup would allow for decent cover and a relatively clear shooting lane, depending on how obscuring the gas was. Especially considering that, since there are exits on both sides, the crowd will likely run towards the side where the gunman
isn't
...so, depends on a lot of factors.