A soldier based in Kansas is being credited with preventing a mass shooting.
The incident occurred Wednesday morning at the Centennial Bridge, which connects Kansas to Missouri. A man, who has yet to be identified, got out of his vehicle with a rifle and began firing randomly at vehicles on the busy stretch of road. That is when Master Sgt. David Royer, who is based at nearby Fort Leavenworth, sprang into action, the New York Times reported.
Royer said he was speaking to his fiancee at the time of the shooting when he realized that the man in front of him began shooting. He told his wife to call 911 and proceeded to drive his Chevrolet Silverado into the gunman, pinning him beneath the car.
“I wasn’t necessarily frightened,” the 34-year-old soldier said Thursday. “I was shocked that it was happening, and the adrenaline took over, and, with the military training that I’ve received, I took appropriate action and took out the threat.”
In addition to the gunman, who was seriously injured by the crash, another driver was shot and was taken to the hospital Wednesday in serious condition.
Leavenworth Police Chief Patrick Kitchens said that “countless people” were saved by the quick-thinking Royer, who has served in the Army for the past 15 years.
“What was a very, very dangerous situation, fortunately, was ended quite quickly,” Kitchens said at a news conference.
“This was an active shooter with multiple weapons on the bridge firing at cars,” he explained. “The person was simply randomly firing at vehicles as they passed by.”
Kitchens said the gunman was in possession of a handgun and a semi-automatic rifle. Although the call was initially reported as an incident of road rage, the chief said he could not yet provide details about a potential motive. In addition to local authorities, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security were asked to help with the investigation.
