Brady Olson, the teacher turned hero after stopping the shooting incident at North Thurston High School in Lacey, Washington, last Monday, finally spoke about his heroic act, saying that his first thought was that he had to do something to get the gun away, and that he had to save the teenage shooter from hurting himself.
Olson's decision to take action not only saved the lives of others but of the shooter as well, as Lacey Police Officer Ed McClanahan admitted that he was just figuring out that he had a clear shot at the boy and was only moments away from firing at him.
The 16-year-old shooter, who was a transferee at NTHS, is currently at Thurston County, facing five charges including theft of a firearm, felony harassment, possession of a dangerous weapon on school grounds, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful discharge of a firearm, The Olympian reported. Juvenile Court Commissioner Lynn Hayes authorized a 72-hour mental health hold, at which time the boy will undergo mental evaluation.
When asked about why he did what he did, Olson said, "I'm kind of a protective person. I was thinking about protecting my kids (students of NTHS)."
The news of Olson's heroic act reached a lot of people all over the country, and the AP government and politics and civics teacher has been receiving emails commending him for his heroism. To this, the teacher replied that he just acted on his instinct and is still far from being a hero, if compared to those in the military.
Olson himself served several years in the military to earn money for college.
