The Indiana science teacher who tackled an armed student inside his classroom and is being praised as a hero for quickly stopping a middle school shooting Friday morning was shot several times.
“If it weren’t for him, more of us would have been injured for sure,” said seventh-grader Ethan Stonebraker, according to the Associated Press.
Videos by PopCulture.com
He says the class was taking a test at Noblesville West Middle School in Indiana when a student walked in late, pulled out a gun and started firing. Stonebraker said the teacher “immediately ran at him, swatted a gun out of his hand and tackled him to the ground.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, Jason Seaman was shot three times and was released from an Indianapolis hospital.
“He is that hero teacher who stopped the shooter from hurting more young people,” Republican Rep. Susan Brooks said in a video posted on Twitter.
The continuous outpouring of support & unity from our community is incredible.
— Susan W. Brooks (@SusanWBrooks) May 26, 2018
Noblesville is strong & resilient. As we move forward & embark upon a healing process, it’s important to continue prayers & efforts to support our community. #NWMS #WAT >> https://t.co/wG1gKbzHWh pic.twitter.com/5EHldhOJQs
The only other person shot, student Ella Whistler, was in critical but stable condition. Her family released a statement saying they were still trying to process “what happened and why.”
President Donald Trump went on Twitter on Saturday to thank Seaman “for his heroic act in saving so many precious young lives. His quick and automatic action is being talked about all over the world!”
Thanks to very brave Teacher & Hero Jason Seaman of Noblesville, Indiana, for his heroic act in saving so many precious young lives. His quick and automatic action is being talked about all over the world!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2018
Vice President Mike Pence, the former governor of Indiana, also credited the teacher’s “courageous action” for saving lives during the shooting at the suburban Indianapolis school.
“We’re all proud of you Jason and are praying for you and those impacted and recovering from injuries,” Pence said in his own tweet.
Police said the suspected shooter was brought into custody shortly after the shooting took place around 9 a.m.
“The school has been completely cleared and the investigation process has just begun,” Noblesville Police Chief Kevin Jowitt said.
Jowitt said a second threat that locked down Noblesville High School, where the middle school students were bused to reunite with their parents, is not believed to be related to the shooting incident.
There is “no information that this is anything other than a communicated threat,” he said. Around 11:10 a.m., police led someone in handcuffs from the high school into a police SUV, the Indy Star reports.
The shooting comes one week after a student at Santa Fe High School shot and killed 10 people, injuring several others. The confessed shooter, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, was booked on capital murder charges and remains without bail on suicide watch.
