The late Mr. Rogers told audiences his mother always told him to "look for the helpers" when he saw scary things on the news. This advice can feel hard to follow in today's world of nonstop overwhelming news.
But it's possible. The Aug. 1 shooting at an Idaho In-N-Out Burger proves it.
Chad Williams, 24, opened fire on patrons and employees, killing three and wounding at least seven. My heart goes out to the victims and their families. I wish this didn't happen in America. But it does.
As that violence unfolded in Twin Falls, trained, prepared men jumped into action and saved lives. Local reports say an off-duty Idaho State Police trooper and an armed civilian exchanged gunfire with Williams, driving him from the scene and preventing further deaths.
"I want to extend my deepest thanks to the off-duty trooper and the good citizen that engaged the shooter," Twin Falls County Sheriff Jack Johnson said. "These people are true heroes in our community, and their actions diverted the shooter and no doubt saved many lives."
“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties," Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said.
I believe in the Second Amendment, and I believe some gun laws are necessary. But I don't believe more laws are the answer every time evil strikes. Often, the only thing that stops a crime in progress is the courage of men like these. In an era when moral and physical courage seems to be in short supply, we must recognize it when it appears.
Jordan Salinas is a hero. He was armed and prepared.
I'm struck by the bravery of the civilian who responded to the shooting: Jordan Salinas, 35, a health care worker who cares full-time for his wheelchair-bound brother. Salinas told the Idaho Statesman that he'd gone to the Twin Falls In-N-Out for lunch with his girlfriend.
Salinas said he first thought the chaos was a kitchen fire, until he heard gunshots. Instead of taking cover or fleeing, he headed toward the danger, later describing his behavior as "automatic" and "mechanical," even as his girlfriend shouted his name. He drew an FN Five-Seven, a semiautomatic pistol with a suppressor fixed to the barrel, from his shoulder holster. Even in Texas, that's an unusual combination for an average person to carry.
“He did not like it when bullets started firing both ways,” Salinas said of the shooter. “There's a task that needs to be done, and we’re the ones who need to do it.”
More impressive is that Salinas had been preparing for this moment. He began training seriously after a 2021 shooting at the Boise Towne Square mall killed two.
On social media in 2024, Salinas posted, "Train like your life depends on it Because God forbid, one day it might."
Until Aug. 1, Salinas had never even pointed his gun at an animal. But he was ready.
We need more everyday heroes, not more gun laws
Tragic news shouldn't immediately be politicized, but gun violence often gets that reaction anyway. So far, I haven't seen Idaho politicians call for more gun control, likely because Idaho has been governed by Republicans for decades.
In Idaho, most adults can legally possess a firearm and carry a concealed handgun without a permit, which is exactly what gave Salinas the freedom to be prepared.
That freedom doesn’t always work. The horrendous 2022 Uvalde school shooting in Texas is proof: Armed law enforcement officers were on scene and still failed to act in time to save 19 children and two adults.
Politicians typically react to shootings with calls for more gun laws, and that was the response of many after Uvalde. But strict gun control hasn't stopped high gun crime rates in states like Illinois and California.
And strict laws leave law-abiding citizens with little or no ability to protect themselves if a shooting unfolds while they're eating a burger.
Self-defense with a firearm is rare. But that doesn't make it unnecessary. There are many accounts of an armed bystander stopping a shooting in progress.
In 2022, Elisjsha Dicken confronted a gunman who opened fire at a mall food court in Indiana, killing three people. Dicken brandished the Glock handgun he legally carried and killed the shooter. Police said he saved lives.
In 2019, Jack Wilson, a security guard at a Texas church, stopped a shooter after he killed two congregants in the middle of communion. The livestream captured multiple people drawing their firearms in real time as the incident unfolded.
Gun laws should keep guns out of the wrong hands. But figuring out who belongs in that category is difficult, and criminals were never going to follow the law anyway. We don't need more gun laws to prevent tragedies like the In-N-Out shooting in Idaho. We need more men and women with the nerve and heroism of Salinas, people who take their rights seriously, train to use guns responsibly and prepare to defend themselves when violence comes.
C.S. Lewis wrote, "Since it is so likely that (children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage."
America still has such men and women. We need more of them. And we must recognize extraordinary valor when we see it.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Idaho shooting proves we need more heroes, not gun laws | Opinion
