When a 12 year old boy shot two students in a gym at Berrendo Middle School on Tuesday, John Masterson, a history teacher, successfully got the boy to put the gun down. He is being called a hero.
According to Ny Daily News , “(Masterson) stood there and allowed a gun to be pointed right at him,” said the state’s Gov. Susana Martinez. “And to talk down that young boy to drop the gun so that there would be no more young kids hurt.”
The weapon in question is a sawed off 20 gauge shot gun. The young boy brought it into the school undetected in a bag, which police are searching, as well as the student’s locker and home.
The 13 year old girl, who was shot in the shoulder, has been identified as Kendal Sanders. She has been ungraded to a stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. The other student, an 11 year old boy, who was shot in the face, has been in critical condition after undergoing a second surgery, according to the Albuquerque Journal .
“It was a harrowing experience,” said Masterson, who has taught at Berrendo Middle School for 10 years. “All I can say was the staff there did a great job.”