Because we are acknowledging the original film, we can conclude Dr. Loomis shot Michael Myers on that fateful Halloween night four decades ago, leading to the madman’s capture.
Rather than having Dr. Loomis shoot Michael Myers in the end, Loomis himself would have been killed by the Shape, with a body double in place of the late Donald Pleasence.
You wouldn’t want to anger the fans at the very start of the film, so sparing Dr. Loomis was certainly for the best.
With the new Halloween movie just days away from release, it’s a great time to be a slasher movie fan.