One person is lucky to be alive after an older man stormed into a Houston, Texas-area school and shot them during a band competition.
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According to CBS News, the man, who was identified as Dennis Erwin Brandl, Jr., 83, entered Pasadena Memorial High School on Feb. 1, during the band competition and started firing a small-caliber weapon. Officials revealed that one person, who was identified as a percussion technical consultant for the Angleton Independent School District band.
Law enforcement shared that the victim was struck in the shoulder during the band competition shooting. He was taken to a nearby hospital and was in stable condition.
Pasadena Independent School District also stated that the suspect was not affiliated with the competition. Local media outlet KHOU reported that the Pearland Band Dads members quickly sprang into action and took the suspect down.
“Within 60 seconds, a suspect was disarmed, and they prevented further shooting by this suspect,” Pasadena Police Chief Jerry Wright stated during a news conference.
The Pearland Independent School District spoke out in a statement about the parents. They praised them for “bravely intervened, successfully subduing the individual and detaining them until law enforcement arrived.”
The four parents who took down the band competition suspect were 13-year Air Force veteran Abram Trevino, 14-year Army veteran Adam Curow, 4-year Marine Corps veteran Efrain ‘Polo’ Castillo, and Houston police sergeant Joe Sanchez.
The Four Parents Who Took Down the Band Competition Shooter Speak Out
The four spoke to KHOU about the situation. “People were coming out screaming, saying, ‘Active shooter, active shooter,’” Sanchez said. “So me and Polo were with the same prop, dropped everything, and ran through the lobby door.”
Sanchez then recalled his actions to take down the shooter. “I grabbed his arms while Adam took the gun out,” he continued. “And once the gun was removed from his hand, we had no handcuffs, so I took off my belt, made handcuffs, got his right arm secured, got his left arm secured.”
“I grabbed his wrist and was tackling to get the handgun free. I finally got it free,” Curow then added. “Then, I went ahead and cleared the pistol and kept it in my hand. I put the pistol behind my back. That way it was secured, and no one has to grab it or utilize it.”