A high school football and track coach from the US disarmed a student carrying a gun, before giving him a hug.
Former Oregon Ducks football player Keanon Lowe – who works at Parkrose High School in Oregon – managed to disarm the student after they walked into his classroom carrying a gun.
The student – named as 19-year-old Angel Granados-Diaz – had reportedly been planning to use the shotgun to end his own life.
You can find out more about this story in the following clip:
Footage shows Granados-Diaz walking down a school corridor before entering Lowe’s classroom. At this point, people could be seen running away in panic.
Lowe could then be seen backing out of the classroom door, shotgun in hand. He used his other hand to hold Granados-Diaz at arms length, before handing the shotgun to another staff member. At this point, Lowe gave the student a big hug, rubbing his back comfortingly.
According to KATU, Lowe said:
Pretty crazy situation. In a fraction of a second, I analyzed everything really fast, saw the look in his face, looked at his eyes, looked at the gun, I realized it was a real gun and then my instincts just took over.
He added:
Then it was just me and that student. It was a real emotional time. It was emotional for him, it was emotional for me. In that time, I felt compassion for him. A lot of times, especially when you’re young, you don’t realize what you’re doing until it’s over.
[…] I let him know that I was there for him. I told him I was there to save him. I was there for a reason, and this is a life worth living.
Granados-Diaz has since pleaded not guilty to the charges of reckless endangerment, possession of a firearm, and carrying a firearm into a public building.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.