Armed Citizen Helped Stop Law School Killer

January 18, 2002

Read the story at http://www.msnbc.com/news/688939.asp

"A 43-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Nigeria, went to the Appalachian School of Law on Wednesday to talk to his dean, L. Anthony Sutin, about Odighizuwa's dismissal for failing grades, officials said. He shot Sutin and professor Thomas Blackwell, who taught Odighizuwa's contracts classes, with a .380-caliber pistol, authorities and students said. Also killed was student Angela Dales, 33..."

We at JPFO express our anger at the killer, our sympathy for the survivors of the three persons killed and for those three others who were gravely injured, as well as to all those who grieve and suffer with them.

Before this story becomes recorded as "another senseless school shooting" that "proves why handguns should be banned," we think everyone should know the whole story. Thanks to Robert Waters, author of The Best Defense (www.robertwaters.net), we received the link to the MSNBC report that states:

"Students ended the rampage by confronting and then tackling the gunman, officials said."

"We saw the shooter, stopped at my vehicle and got out my handgun and started to approach Peter," Tracy Bridges, who helped subdue the shooter with other students, said Thursday on NBC's "Today" show. "At that time, Peter threw up his hands and threw his weapon down. Ted was the first person to have contact with Peter, and Peter hit him one time in the face, so there was a little bit of a struggle there."

In other words: an armed student helped stop the killer. At this point we don't know whether the attacker (Peter) decided to stop before or after he saw the armed student, but we do know that the student Tracy Bridges:

(1) Was prepared for defense by being armed
(2) Had the presence of mind to obtain the weapon when it was needed most
(3) Would have been capable of stopping the attacker if some other means (tackling, etc.) had failed

We at JPFO salute that student, Tracy Bridges, for having the foresight to be armed and for the courage to use the firearm to save lives. Tracy Bridges exercised the right to keep and bear arms the way that every competent non-violent American should feel proud to do.

We needed four Tracy Bridges on September 11, 2001 -- armed.

The Liberty Crew