“When you least expect it, you’re elected!” – John Farnam

Two weeks ago, a Fortress student in a Southeastern state prevented a slaughter at his place of employment. Our student, who we’ll call “Mike”, manages close to 100 office employees, the building they’re in being equipped with ID pass access and a security guard (unarmed) stationed at the door. Of course, the facility policy is “gun free zone.”

A former employee, who was terminated weeks earlier for cause, gained access through the front door by telling the guard he “forgot something in his desk”. Once inside, he started a verbal altercation that eventually escalated into a fist fight with another male employee whom he over-powered, took to the ground, and pummeled repeatedly.

Mike, who was at one time a bouncer, eventually heard the commotion and ran across the building to where the fight was taking place. He immediately put the attacker in a choke hold, dragged him into a nearby office, and attempted to calm the perp down – to no avail. The suspect was pacing and cursing, not making eye contact, and displaying multiple grooming behaviors which Mike immediately recognized as indicators that our felon was about to rejoin the fight.

Badguy finally turned and looked directly at Mike while simultaneously reaching into his pocket. Mike commanded him to stop, but was roundly ignored while the offender began to produce a folding blade. Mike said that at that moment he saw the face of his wife and knew he had no choice but to act if he ever wanted to see her again. He lunged forward and went hands on. The fight took out a plate glass window, and one wall of the office, all while Mike managed to keep the blade, which dropped to the floor, from being deployed. Once disarmed, badgay managed to break loose and run (now missing one shoe) towards an exit.

Mike pursued, and while the attacker was fumbling with one of the locks on the door, tackled him through the door, destroying it – the two of them spilling out onto the blacktop a la every Hollywood bar fight ever filmed.

At that point Mike got his body weight on him, and hearing sirens approaching from the distance, the perp was trying desperately to convince Mike that if he would just let him get to his car he’d never bother him again. Having none of it, Mike continued to land the occasional blow every time he tried to escape his hold.

We estimate the total time from attacker accessing the building to the police pulling Mike off of him was in the 20-minute range. A good 8-minutes of it being from choke hold to the arrival of LE. So, needless to say, Mike was a bit winded. As the officers began unraveling what was happening, Mike was simply so out of breath he couldn’t speak. However, he did manage to get one phrase out, which was: That man tried to murder me!

The other employees gave statements, and the police eventually came back to a calmer Mike, asking him why he didn’t just let the guy go. Mike explained that there was something about the way he kept saying that he “needed to get to his car” which raised a red flag. He knew he couldn’t let him go, not only because of what he was saying, but how he was saying it. This prompted the police to search the attacker’s car. They found a shotgun, AR15, and 4 handguns – all loaded, all with extra ammunition and spare charged magazines.

Badguy was later found to be wanted on a warrant. He also had a criminal record, making him a felon in possession (another example of failed gun control laws.)

According to the anti-gun left’s definition, a mass shooting was not stopped last month by a hero. Well, I know better. And, so do every one of the employees he saved.

“Heroes may not be braver than anyone else. They’re just braver 5 minutes longer.” – Ronald Reagan