Guards Who Shot Back at Von Brunn Identified

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Washington Post

The security guards who returned fire when a white supremacist allegedly gunned down their colleague at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on Wednesday were a recently retired D.C. police officer and a former Marine, both of whom had worked at the museum only a few weeks.

The former D.C. police officer is Harry Weeks, who retired from the force in February after 27 years. The second guard is Jason "Mac" McCuiston, 30, a former Marine who had worked as a police officer outside Atlanta before returning to the Washington area and taking the job at the museum.

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Neither of the guards were supposed to be working Wednesday, when James W. von Brunn allegedly entered the museum and immediately began shooting, fatally injuring security guard Stephen T. Johns, 39. Both said they had accepted overtime assignments to help with the crowds and VIPs expected to be at the museum that evening for the opening of a new play about racial tolerance, written by the wife of former defense secretary William Cohen.

Earlier that morning, the three guards had joked about a basketball game they planned to play together this Sunday. Weeks said he would guard the much taller Johns, who stood 6 feet 6 inches tall.

"It's so hard to believe that he is gone," Weeks said of Johns.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/12/AR2009061201521.html?hpid=topnews

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Good job gentlemen!

[DS1]

1. HOORAH!

[WatchWhatISay]

2. I'm sure they knew who his next target would be

So sorry the other one had to die just to take one subhuman off the street

[rasputin1952]

3. So glad to see these men knew how to deal w/the attack...

So sad Officer Johns was the victim in this crime.

Im hoping von Brunn survives his wounds, is tried and serves the rest of his miserable life ensnared by his own hatred, rotting from the inside till he dies behind bars, friendless, no one shedding a tear or a thought for this miserable subhuman monster.

[Cha]

7. Yes, I hope he

survives, too.

[MadMaddie]

4. These men saved a lot of lives!

Thank goodness they were on duty!

[atreides1]

9. I work at the Museum

The entire Guard force saved the lives of the museum visitors by following procedures for evacuation of the building, and insuring that all of the visitors and staff were directed to safe and secure areas out of the line of fire.

[MadMaddie]

12. I hope that I didn't sound dismisive

definitely not my intent.

Losing one of your own is devastating.

All of the guards saved lives that day (just referring to the article) and I thank all of you.

Glad you are here with us on DU!

Stay safe!

[underpants]

5. There is a lot to be said for awareness, training, preparedness, and professionalism

they got von Brunn down fast

Thanks guys

[Cha]

6. Rec'd! That's

really sad about Stephen T Johns but I'm glad the other two guards were working on Wednesday.

[scentopine]

8. This is a heartbreaking story.

Very sad. So senseless. My deepest sympathy to the family. We must never forget. I trust that there is a memorial being set up. Officer Johns and the other two men undoubtedly prevented a much greater tragedy. And thanks to anyone those who waited in line for the museum to reopen so they could pay their respects. This was a powerful act of strength and courage.

I'll be making a contribution to southern poverty law center. http://www.splcenter.org/index.jsp

If you can, please consider a gift of support to any of the organizations working hard for justice and our right to live in peace.

[atreides1]

10. This is always the problem

Everyone remembers the ones who fired, but seldom do people give credit to the other members of the Guard force who were responsible for getting the visitors, staff, and VIPs out of harms way to safe areas.

Why is that?

Their is no doubt that SPO Weeks and McCuiston were at the right place at the right time, but then again so were their fellow officers who did their jobs in an exemplary manner.

[Cha]

11. From the NYT.. von Brunn was charged with murder

on Thursday.

<snips>>>

"Two armed security guards fired back, wounding Mr. von Brunn in the face and sending panicked tourists, including groups of schoolchildren, diving for cover.

Mr. von Brunn, who was in critical condition at George Washington University Hospital, was charged with murder on Thursday in the death of Mr. Johns, 39, from Temple Hills, Md. The victim, who worked for the private security company Wackenhut Services Inc., had been assigned to the museum for six years.

The rifle was recovered at the scene, and Mr. von Brunn was also charged with possessing and shooting a firearm in a federal building. Federal Bureau of Investigation authorities are pursuing civil rights and hate crimes charges against Mr. von Brunn, who is thought to have acted alone."

And, yeah, how did he get the weapons when he had been charged before with a felony?

<snip>>>>

"Local and federal authorities in Washington said Thursday that they were focusing on Mr. von Brunn’s intentions and how he got the rifle. Because of his felony conviction in the crime at the Federal Reserve, he was prohibited by federal law from buying or possessing a gun. But Mr. von Brunn could have had the rifle, described by the authorities as “an older weapon,” since well before his conviction."

<more>>>
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/us/12shoot.html?_r=1