Posted on 11/23/2005 7:44:13 AM PST by XR7
Whether man, now paralyzed, could have fired is unclear
TACOMA -- Brendan McKown, carrying his own pistol, was prepared to stop the "reign of terror" at the Tacoma Mall on Sunday before he was shot and critically wounded, friends and family said Tuesday.
"If he could be in a position to protect others, he wanted to be there," his father, Roger McKown, said. "I'm proud of my son. I think he's a hero."
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| Brendan McKown | ||
Brendan McKown, 38, lies critically wounded in a Tacoma hospital, and doctors fear that he might be paralyzed.
Dominick Sergio Maldonado, 20, is accused of shooting McKown and five other people and taking four hostages in the Tacoma Mall on Sunday afternoon.
Pierce County prosecutors charged Maldonado on Monday with eight counts of first-degree assault, four counts of first-degree kidnapping and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. His bail has been set at $2 million.
According to McKown's father and stepmother, Beverly McKown, the Tacoma native was on his way to make a deposit from the Excalibur Cutlery and Gifts store, where he is an assistant manager, when he ran into the shooter.
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Dan DeLong / P-I | |
| Roger and Beverly McKown speak with reporters Tuesday. Roger called his son a hero who would have sought to protect others. | ||
The family members said they heard from witnesses that McKown stood about 20 feet from the gunman when he faced him and drew his own pistol before being shot. They didn't know whether he spoke to the gunman.
Mark Fulghum, a spokesman for Tacoma police, said officers aren't sure how close McKown came to firing his gun. He said it appeared that he was legally carrying it.
"He has the right to carry it, and it's something he has done for years," Fulghum said. "It didn't play any part in what happened to him at the mall, as far as we know."
He said McKown was probably not the first person shot at the mall. All the shootings took place at the beginning of the four-hour ordeal.
A longtime friend of McKown's who talked with witnesses after the shooting said he isn't sure he got his gun out. Syrus Corbin said McKown always carried a gun.
"He's always been worried about the way society is going, and for him, carrying a handgun was less for himself than for others," Corbin said.
McKown "has always had a fear of being there when someone flips out and just starts shooting people, and I'll be damned if it didn't happen to him."
McKown's family said employees of the Kits Camera store, where he fell, cared for him for more than an hour before he could be rushed to the hospital. He was conscious, they said, but were unsure if he said anything.
McKown was still in a coma at Tacoma General Hospital on Tuesday, hospital officials said.
The gunshots severely damaged his intestines and abdominal muscles, but doctors were able to repair the damage, hospital spokesman Todd Kelley said.
However, he also suffered injury to his spinal cord.
A second surgery to remove bullet and bone fragments from his spinal canal was successful, Kelley said, but bullets caused "significant nerve damage that will likely result in permanent paralysis."
McKown was expected to remain in an induced coma through Tuesday and possibly have his ventilator removed today, Kelley said.
McKown's family said he was a "brilliantly funny" stand-up comedian and Christian, who frequently held prayer meetings at his home in Tacoma near the mall. They said their faith and his have been helping them.
"Greater love hath no man than this..."
Pray for Brendan McKown and his family.
Had another American patriot been carrying that day, maybe the dirtbag could have been stopped.
People, if you CAN carry and have the ability to take a life if necessary... DO CARRY.
We are so obsessed with good Samaritans being within the bounds of BS laws it is sickening.
The title of the article almost seems to be trying to justify the criminal.
DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR Dominick Sergio Maldonado: "My client was acting in self defense as an unknown maniacal, Christian, NRA member was pointing a gun at him, endangering his hostages, er I mean, voluntary detainees..."
This is why I live in Texas.
A couple of years ago, a Dallas man shot a would be carjacker at a car wash. He had been washing his car, saw the perp trying to carjack someone else, pulled out his .45 and shot the guy in the head. This was perfectly legal to do at the time; it was nighttime and carjacking is a felony. The problem was that at the time, the pistol he was carrying was illegal, as he had no permit and wasn't "traveling" by the laws in place at the time (since corrected).
The newspaper hyped it up a bit and pushed for the man to be charged with illegal weapons possession. The Dallas PD gave the man back his gun and publicly thanked him for being a good citizen. They did, however, ask him to apply for a permit so that there wouldn't be so much paperwork next time - or so I'm told.
The good guys don't always win, but they are on the right side. Brendan McKown did the right thing.
Note that there are pictures of everyone except the murderous dirtbag Dominick Sergio Maldonado.
If the police did that more often, I'd change my opinion of them. As it stands, that's rather the exception than the rule.
Prayers up for Brendan and the entire McKown family.
What a thing to happen. Especially during the holidays. :-(
I have a Washington state carry permit. So does my wife. Sometimes we have the weapons with us, sometimes not. We have been to the Tacoma mall several times in the past few months. I told my wife, I would not leave home without it ever again. Somehow, I am going to have to find a way to conceal it on my cycling tights. :>) Think someone would get suspicious of that bulge on the hip of my cycling bib shorts???
I NEVER go anywhere unarmed. ANYWHERE.
You never need a gun at all until you need one very BADLY.
Also, think "fanny pack".
Is there a fund for him?
And *any* gun is better than no gun. A .25 Auto is stupidly easy to conceal, even in tight clothing, and a cranial vault shot will do the job just fine. The only catch is that you must be very, very sure of your marksmanship.
Good.
Let him rot.
He deserves no publicity.
It is not about him and his twisted reasons for doing what he did.
It is about the victims - and justice.
In Tuesday's Seattle Times there is an article. There is the Dan McKown Medical Fund to help with expenses. donations can be made at any Bank of America.
From the article: His father (Roger) and his stepmom are active in prison ministries as Roger spent time behind bars years ago for his own "bad choices". They said they have been praying nonstop for their son and for Madonado (the shooter). "We are not angry...we are praying for Dan and for this boy. God is a healer."
God bless Dan and his parents. Not sure if I could have such a good Christian attitude.
Also in the article witnesses told the parents that Dan did pull his gun and confront the shooter. Makes me wonder if the shooter changed his plan of rampage and decided it'd be safer to hold up in a store with a couple of hostages (which diffused the situation). Also, the kid was on Meth which after a couple of hours wore off and he came to his senses). If so - Dan may have saved many lives.
Or... very, very close to your target.
I have little problem concealing my favorite CCW pieces; a .380 Bersa auto, or a .38 spl revolver... and I am a smallish fellow.
One caution, though: most .25 or .32 autos I have seen are cheap crap - prone to jam when you really need that second shot.
The Beretta .25 is a good bet. My own personal preference is for a Browning/FN "Baby Browning" .25, if one has to carry a mousegun. Never a jam, never a problem. I've practiced and practiced with the piece - it's on barrel number three now, IIRC.
Would my Browning HiPower be a better bet in most circumstances? Sure, but there are times when it's something like my Baby Browning or nothing. Dunno about y'all, but "nothing" isn't real useful in stopping goblins.
Just finished praying for Brendan and family. May the Good Lord heal him completely.
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