Wayne LaPierre was wrong. What it takes to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with some pepper spray.

Jon Meis, hero of Seattle Pacific University.

Courtesy of The Guardian:  

On Thursday afternoon at half-past-three, a man walked into Otto Miller Hall at Seattle Pacific University, carrying a shotgun and a handgun. He opened fire, killing one person and injuring three more. 

When the shooter stopped to reload, according to police reports, an engineering student named Jon Meis sprayed him with pepper spray, incapacitating him, before grabbing him in a chokehold. Passers-by helped Meis hold the gunman until police arrived on the scene. 

"There are a number of heroes in this," assistant police chief Paul McDonagh said, according to the Associated Press. "The people around [the gunman] stepped up."

Now I am in no way attempting to suggest that a can of pepper spray is the best possible deterrent against a gunman. Every situation is different, and what works once, may not work the next time.

However it is worth noting that Mr. Meis did not accidentally shoot an innocent bystander while incapacitating this killer, nor did his efforts to stop him result in the shooter's death.

Years ago, during my initial training in martial arts, I asked my instructor why he would not teach me to use the Chinese sword that he wielded with such grace and power.

His answer in response was that weapons can malfunction, be stolen, or misplaced but a well trained body, fueled by courage, would never let you down.

I would say that in this case his words proved somewhat prophetic as they have multiple times during my own life.

This young man demonstrated something that many 2nd Amendment advocates seem to lack, the ability to overcome his fear.