A teacher in Illinois saved many lives after subduing a student carrying a firearm on the premises and injuring two students on Wednesday morning.
Emergency responders had been called to Mattoon High School at 11:32 a.m. after reports of several shots being fired at the school's cafeteria. According to police, the suspect, who is said to be a student, acted alone.
Mattoon Police Chief Jeff Branson spoke highly of the teacher and said during a press conference, "She's been trained obviously, but in these scenarios, you just don't know what's going to happen until it happens." Branson added, "Had the teacher not responded as quickly as she had I think the situation would have been a lot different."
A local report found that the teacher had "overwhelmed" the student before any more students could be injured and that school resource officer assisted in taking the student into custody. The school then went on lockdown around 1 p.m.
Over 200 police officers reportedly responded to the scene, including a mix from the Charleston, Mattoon, and East Illinois departments, as well as Illinois State Police. Neighbors to the school told reporters that the police response was "very quick" and "very organized."
A combination of quick thinking by a heroic teacher and an efficient police response saved the lives of Mattoon High School students. As with the case for most school shootings, this situation could've ended in tragedy but heroism prevailed and the parents of the children at Mattoon High can breathe a little bit easier knowing that the staff acted so bravely.
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