Concealed handgum permit holder's intervention in Texas shooting may have saved lives

It hasn't gotten a lot of attention, but the media has given some attention to Mark Wilson and his role in helping stop the shooting that left two people dead in Tyler, Texas yesterday. Here is one the most complete discussions that I could find.

Charleston Daily Mail (West Virginia)

February 25, 2005, Friday

SECTION: News; Pg. P8C

LENGTH: 788 words

HEADLINE: Texas man dies confronting gunman

BYLINE: FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM

BODY: Man dies while trying to stop rampage credited with saving the life of the gunman's son

TYLER, Texas - A 52-year-old manufacturing plant employee, credited with saving another man's life by jumping into the middle of a fierce firefight on a Texas downtown square, was known for taking life "head-on." Friends weren't surprised to hear that Mark Wilson sacrificed his own life byconfronting a gunman firing an AK-47 assault-style rifle Thursday in Tyler, Texas.

"He is the type of person who would grab his gun and go," said Lewis George of Dallas, Wilson's former brother-in-law and best friend for 30 years. "If it was me, I would have been running the other way.

"Mark, he took life head-on."

Wilson was shot several times by David Hernandez Arroyo Sr. during a deadly shooting spree outside the Smith County Courthouse. Aroyo also killed his ex-wife and wounded his 23-year-old son and three police officers.

Wilson, who lived in a loft apartment on the square, had apparently just returned home after having lunch with a friend when he saw Arroyo walking down the street, shooting people, friends said.

Wilson, who had once owned a gun range in Tyler, apparently grabbed a Glock9mm handgun and ran downstairs. One eyewitness said they traded shots, initially missing each other until Arroyo hit Wilson.

"The gunman walked up to Wilson and shot him while he was on the ground," TheAssociated Press reported Tyler Morning Telegraph publisher Nelson Clyde III saying in today's editions of the newspaper. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was sickening."

Arroyo was wearing body armor. But by distracting Arroyo, police said, Wilsonprevented him from fatally shooting his son, David Hernandez Arroyo Jr.

"Based on what we can tell, Mr. Wilson may have saved the younger Arroyo's life," Tyler Police Chief Gary Swindle said. Swindle told The Associated Pressthat Wilson may have hit the gunman, but that his rounds did not penetrate the man's body armor.

"Arroyo was shot by his father, and we believe around that point in time is maybe when Mr. Wilson came up and confronted the suspect," Swindle said.

Lorraine Childress, a sales assistant for Merill Lynch, watched the shootout from her 16th-floor office overlooking downtown Tyler. Little did she know that her friend Mark Wilson was trying to stop the rampage. "We are so proud of our friend," Childress said. "We know Mark saved this young man's life by doing what he did."

Word of Wilson's courageous act quickly spread through this community of 86,000 about 125 miles east of Fort Worth, and no one seemed surprised that Wilson jumped into the middle of the shootout.

Just outside the front of the loft where Wilson lived, the courthouse square was covered in crime scene tape and the street was littered with shell casings. Police had cordoned off Wilson's white Dodge pickup.

Behind the truck, Wilson's prized Porsche 911 was covered by a tarp.

"Ever since he moved into those lofts eight years ago, he's been on the lookout down on the square," said Deborah O'Sullivan, whose husband, John, is the landlord of the lofts where Wilson lived.

"With his knowledge of weapons, he would have immediately known it was gunfire and taken action. That's just Mark. He was always looking out for others." . . .

****
By contrast the stories that I found on NBC and ABC did not discuss the concealed handgun permit holder's actions. CNN also had some stories that provide useful details about what happened. Thanks very much to Howard Nemerov for bringing this to my attention.

I have additional posts on this case at Tyler, Texas here, here, and here.

Texas going to let judges, attorneys to carry guns in court?

The Senate has passed a bill that would allow district and county attorneys and federal judges to carry concealed handguns inside the courthouse.

State Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, who sponsored the House bill authored by State Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, said he was pleased all 31 senators voted for the bill Tuesday.

"I think it's a good piece of legislation, especially after the shooting at our courthouse," Eltife said.

In February, a man angry about being sued for unpaid child support opened fire with an AK-47 assault rifle outside a Tyler courthouse. David Hernandez Arroyo Sr. killed his ex-wife and a bystander. Arroyo's son and three officers were wounded. Arroyo was killed by police after fleeing the scene.

For the rest of the story on the Tyler attack and links at the bottom of the page to other discussions see here.

Did a Security Guard In Tyler, Texas Also use His Gun to Distract Killer?

There is more news on the Tyler, Texas attack that was stopped by Mark Wilson. THe title of the article in the Tyler Morning Telegraph ("SECURITY GUARD ALSO DISTRACTED KILLER ARROYO") is pretty unambiguous that Michael Mosley, a security guard, also helped stopped the attack.

The Tyler Morning Telegraph has learned the identity of a second armed civilian who was in the line of fire of a heavily armed man clad in body armor who fired on the Smith County Courthouse with a semi-automatic assault rifle last week. Witnesses reported to the newspaper last Thursday that an un-identified man pulled up behind the courthouse in a silver colored 1990s Chevrolet Caprice Classic and exited into a defensive position with his wea-pon drawn and pointed in the direction of David Hernandez Arroyo. . . . Mosley refused to talk to the newspaper in detail, but did make a brief statement on Wednesday. "I am no hero. God watched over me and protected me that day. I am praying for all the families involved and that is all I have to say," he said. After repeated phone calls to a Southwestern Securities office in Houston, Joseph Morales, a supervisor for the company, told the Morning Telegraph his officer did not fire his gun last week. "According to him, he did not fire his weapon on that day," Morales said. However, at least one eyewitness believes Mosley was another deterrent during the tragedy.

This is the only news mention that I have seen of Michael Mosley. Given all the media coverage of the attack, it is a little surprising that the local Tyler, Texas newspaper is the only paper that has mentioned this.

Thanks to Goodwillhntg@aol.com for telling me about this article.

I have additional posts on this case at Tyler, Texas here, here, and here.

Video on Tyler, Texas Shooting

This video on the Tyler, Texas shooting does not include anything on the defensive gun use by either Mark Wilson or the security guard. The tape ends just before they enter the scene. The text that comes with the video also ommits Wilson and the security guard.

On the tape, police officers can be seen running out of the courthouse with their guns drawn and ducking for cover from flying bullets. As the glass in the front of the courthouse is shot out, people scramble to take cover. The gunman, David Hernandez Arroyo, shot and killed his estranged wife and a bystander outside the courthouse. Arroyo was shot and killed by police officers. Authorities said Arroyo and his wife were involved in a child support dispute. Arroyo's son and three lawmen also were wounded in the shooting

I have additional posts on this case at Tyler, Texas here, here, here, and here.

Thanks very much to Gary Marbut for supplying me with this link.

More Judges Carrying handguns

I wish that this got more coverage.

More Judges Packing Pistols in Courtrooms

By Amanda Bronstad
The National Law Journal
12-07-2006
Despite increased security at courthouses following shootings in Chicago and Atlanta about one year ago, many judges are bringing their own guns into their courtrooms for protection. . . .

In Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas, incidences of violence in the past year have prompted new laws or solidified rules allowing judges to bring guns into courtrooms.

"Judges in our courthouse have been carrying guns almost all the time," said Cynthia Stevens Kent, a Texas judge in the 114th District Court, where a man in a family law case killed his ex-wife and son last year on the steps of a Tyler courthouse.

"We feel strongly about providing adequate security, but it comes down to personal responsibility. And you've got to take responsibility for your own safety," Kent said.

Security concerns were raised last year after a rape suspect grabbed a deputy's gun and killed an Atlanta judge and others. One month earlier, a litigant had killed the husband and mother of a Chicago federal judge who ruled against him. . . .