My answer to is yes and I think in the right circumstances the same would be true of 99% of people. The best example of this was WWII here millions of people found themselves killing others.
I have killed people, but that was during armed conflict.
In 1991 when we got stuck into the Iraqi's we went through them like they wer'nt there, but when our trusty SA80's (rifles) got sand in them, they became useless so we had to throw a grenade into their trench, then jump in and bayonet them to death.
Killing is easy, it's living with it afterwards thats hard
when I was going through a bit of a tough time with my now ex husband, I must admit to fantasising about getting him out on the balcony of our third floor flat and shoving him over it, but when I confessed to my mum of my evil thoughts, she rekoned he would have survived it anyway as he was so thick ! but I'm sure those thoughts were only there because of the state of mind I was in. (I hope) as I have never thought of doing any one in for a few years now. But put in a life threatening situation, I imagine I could.
To be honest how would you know unless you were put in to a situation where it was a valid option or you actually had to. At the moment I'd say 'no,' however if the choice was my life (or a family member or friend) or another person I doubt it'd be quite so simeple.
I heard that if you gave an untrained soldier a rifle and put him in a battle and told him to shoot then only 2% would shoot to kill and the rest would deliberately miss.
But with training 98% would shoot to kill.
so I think that I and most other people would kill if the circumstances were right
I'd like to think not, but if someone was just about to kill me I would do my best to protect my life and if it meant killing them, I would have to do it, I'd like to think that I could hurt them enought to render them powerless first tho, so I wouldn't have to kill them.
Like Johnlambert said, it is afterwards that would torment you, and I don't think i could handle it.
Sadly , now, I think people are much more violent, they are quick to wound and kill at the drop of a hat. Sadly that is the way we have become. I have often said that if people had more respect for themselves and other people, there would be less of a problem. Could I kill? No , certainly not intentionally anyway.