Soldier Puts an End to Potential Mass Shooting by Mowing Over Shooter with Truck
His brave actions probably saved countless lives.
Army Master Sgt. David Royer is a hero, and his selfless response to the media to describe his actions confirm this.
The active-duty soldier took matters into his own hands on Wednesday when he stopped an active shooter on a bridge in Leavenworth, Kansas, by hitting the suspect with his truck.
The following day, he told members of the media at a news conference at Fort Leavenworth, where he is stationed, that he had to act because innocent lives were at risk.
A Fort Leavenworth soldier says he ‘had to do something’ to stop an active shooter. He doesn’t think he’s a hero, but his quick actions saved lives. A hero in our book. pic.twitter.com/b4UFGQWXie
— 41 Action News (@41actionnews) May 29, 2020
“My military training kicked in. So, I took action as I saw appropriate, and I just knew I had to do something,” he said.
And that something worked.
Leavenworth Police Chief Patrick Kitchens said his office was notified around 11 a.m. on Wednesday that there had been multiple gunshots fired from Centennial Bridge. The initial suspicion was road rage.
Further investigation revealed a person was firing randomly at cars with a handgun and a semi-automatic rifle, according to KMBC-TV.
Investigators discovered that about seven bullets were fired into one car, and two more vehicles were struck. One person injured during the incident was, like Royer, an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Leavenworth, WDAF-TV reported.
Royer, who was waiting in traffic on the bridge at the time, saw the entire event unfold, and his instincts kicked in.
He drove his truck toward the suspect and struck him, pinning him under his vehicle.
Kitchens said Royer was a hero.
“He saved countless lives. There were people on that bridge that were innocent bystanders just traveling, there were [Kansas Department of Transportation] workers on that bridge,” he said.
“He saved all of those people’s lives. His actions are extraordinary.”
But Royer’s words after his actions spoke volumes about his character and humility.
“Most people in my situation would have done the same thing,” he told the media. “I knew people’s lives were in danger.”
To Royer, it might have come naturally. Not everyone in his situation responded or acted. But he did.
He stayed calm and did what he had to do to protect lives.
And after it was all over, he went home and focused on his main priorities.
He gave his kids a hug, mowed the lawn, and ate dinner with his family.
No cape. No superpowers.
Only a truck, a good heart, and the will of a hero.
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