Surveillance video released this week shows Parkrose High School football coach Keanon Lowe disarming a student who walked into a classroom with a loaded shotgun. The incident happened May 17 in Portland, Oregon, and the footage has been widely shared online.
According to KOIN 6 News, which obtained the video, the student is seen entering a hallway with the shotgun concealed and then walking into a classroom, where he meets Lowe. A second camera angle shows Lowe taking the weapon and then embracing the student.
Lowe told KOIN 6 that he had been sent to the fine arts building to find a student. He said he was in the classroom for 15 or 20 seconds when the door opened and he saw the student holding a shotgun. “In a fraction of a second, I analyzed everything really fast,” Lowe said, adding that his instincts took over and that running away never crossed his mind.
He also said he did not want to be called a hero. According to Lowe, he spoke with the student after taking the gun and told him he was there for him and that his life was worth living.
The student, Angel, was 18 at the time. Reports say he pleaded guilty to gun charges last month and was sentenced to 36 months of probation, with mental health and substance abuse treatment required. According to Newsweek, officials said he had previously made suicidal statements and that he never pointed the gun at anyone but himself during the incident.
Made to order and shipped to your door.
