Seattle Hero Threw Bar Stool at Gunman, Saved 3 Lives
Yesterday's shooting in Seattle, Wash. claimed four lives but could have been much worse had it not been for the actions of Lawrence Adams. Adams managed to deter the gunman by hitting him with a bar stool, allowing three people trapped in the building to escape.
"I just threw the frigging stool at him, legs first," Adams told police. He lost a brother in the September 11 attacks and had made a personal vow that if the time ever came, he "would never hide under a table."
That vow is what caused him to spring into action.
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Ian Stawicki entered a coffeehouse in Seattle and began firing after an employee asked him to leave. Five people in total died as a result of the shooting, and one was left critically injured. Stawicki shot himself after a five-hour manhunt by police. Adams refuses to take any credit for his actions, saying that he was merely keeping a promise to himself.
Security cameras at the café captured the entire incident on film, which helped police see exactly what happened.
"One person stands up, looks like he's going to go outside for a minute. At that point the suspect stands up and starts shooting … and then just goes down the bar. He chases a few people. At that time he's been hit by the stool, twice," explained Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel.
"He completes the shooting, puts the guns in his pockets, actually took a hat from one of the victims, put it on his head and walked out," Pugel added. Stawicki wasn't finished shooting, and ended up killing another woman a half-hour later.
Police have also released the 911 calls that came from patrons inside the café, calls for help and descriptions of the scene.
"Someone came in and shot a bunch of people," a man tells 911. "I'm hiding in the bathroom. We need help right away … There's people down all over the place out there," he added.
