School Tragedy Averted As Teacher Draws Her Gun on Crazed Gunman

Another story that the media isn't interested in for transparently obvious reasons.

“He pulled out his gun and started pointing it at people,” Thacker said.

Cowan trained a .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol at Riden’s face, said Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson. Carolyn Gudger, the school resource officer, drew her gun, then shielded the principal’s body with her own.

Thacker remembers Cowan shouting something – possibly including the words “10 years” – but she isn’t sure. She turned and ran out the set of public doors to the mulch pile in the front of the school, and hid behind bushes.

“He might shoot someone,” Thacker remembered thinking. “I just wanted to get out of there.”

Riden fled and Gudger inched back into the school, leading Cowan through the scattered pastel chairs in the empty cafeteria. It was a tactical move, meant to lure the gunman into a more contained place, Anderson said.

Gudger, the school resource officer (I called her a "teacher" in the headline just because I do not know what a "resource officer" is and I figure that most people don't either) held the gunman in a standoff for two minutes, until police arrived. After they did, the cops again demanded Cowen drop his gun. He didn't. Shooting broke out (I don't know who shot first, thus the passive voice) and Cowen was killed.

posted by Ace at 12:57 PM

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