‘These men are heroes’
Las Vegas Valley taxpayers and businesses spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year on security, surveillance and public safety. But no amount of money can protect all law-abiding citizens from motivated, sinister thugs who strike at random. Not even the safe environs of the Strip can make such a guarantee.
Patrons of the New York-New York hotel learned as much early Friday, when, according to police, Las Vegas resident Steven Francis Zegrean began firing a 9mm semiautomatic handgun from the mezzanine onto the casino floor.
No police or security were in the immediate vicinity. Investigators said Zegrean emptied 16 bullets from his magazine, injuring four people.
As hundreds of hotel patrons fled for cover, 24-year-old tourist Justin Lampert, a North Dakota National Guardsman and Iraq war veteran, crouched and waited at the Nathan’s hot dog stand. According to police, as Zegrean headed for the exit that leads to the MGM Grand he tried to shoot someone lying on the ground, but the gun jammed. He moved to reload the weapon.
Mr. Lampert pounced. He put the gunman in a headlock, prompting Zegrean to chomp on the staff sergeant’s fingers.
David James, a 28-year-old Navy reservist and merchant mariner visiting from Jacksonville, Fla., ran to Mr. Lampert’s assistance, grabbing Zegrean’s gun and kicking him in the head. Then Bob and Paul Ura, brothers employed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, helped the two men restrain Zegrean until security guards and police arrived on the scene.
Had no one challenged Zegrean, he had enough ammunition to keep shooting until well after any armed officers arrived. Many more people would have been injured. Some might have been killed.
“These men are heroes,” said Capt. James Dillon of the Las Vegas police robbery/homicide unit. “The subject was capable and he was motivated to continue shooting his weapon, but he was tackled and then taken into custody after the first volley of rounds.”
In preventing a bloodbath, Mr. Lampert, Mr. James and the Ura brothers averted the kind of disaster that gives gaming executives and tourism officials nightmares. More importantly, however, they risked their own safety to preserve it for scores of strangers.
Their bravery is an inspiration — and a lesson — for everyone. Whether evil presents itself in the form of a disturbed lone gunman or religious fanatics backed by a terrorist network, how much damage is done and how many lives are lost can often be determined by the response of civilians, unarmed and out of uniform.
The passengers of United Flight 93 answered the call for heroes on Sept. 11, 2001. So did Jake Ryker, the Springfield, Ore., student who, despite being shot in the chest, wrestled Thurston High School shooter Kip Kinkel to the ground back in 1998. So have countless others over the years.
So did these four men.
“What we did,” said Mr. James, “I feel like any average citizen would have done. Are we good Samaritans? Yes. Heroes? I wouldn’t call us heroes.”
Then we will. Las Vegans owe Mr. James, Mr. Lampert and Bob and Paul Ura their deepest gratitude for going above and beyond the expectations of any guest.