(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . 'I knew I was going to die': Bystander who wrestled and disarmed Monterey Park gunman recalls scene [1] ['Daily Kos Staff', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-01-24 Posted to Twitter, the four-minute video seems to have been recorded in an empty lobby in the dance hall. After an armed man is depicted, he is seen wrestling over a weapon a few seconds later. According to NBC News, the weapon has been described as a "semi-automatic assault pistol.” Tsay is seen being punched and hit in the head as he holds onto the weapon. The gunman, identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, did not seem injured at the time, but he later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Sunday, police said. x 26-year-old Brandon Tsay wrestled a gun away from the Monterey Park shooter at a second location just minutes after the gunman killed at least 11 people and injured 9 more. This man saved lives. Mr. Tsay is a hero.#MontereyPark #massshoting pic.twitter.com/DF6F1kapgV — Ryan Pinesworth™️ (@RyanPinesworth) January 24, 2023 In an interview with CNN, Tsay noted that he had never seen a real gun before and was afraid for his life when he confronted the gunman, and that he would have to shoot someone. Holding the suspect’s gun Saturday was the first time he held one in his hand. "My heart sank, I knew I was going to die,” Tsay told The New York Times. He added that while he was afraid “that moment, it was primal instinct,” he said, noting that he lunged and grabbed the gun, wrestling over it. “Something happened there. I don’t know what came over me.” Tsay also said that “from his [the gunman’s] body language, his facial expression, his eyes, he was looking for people.” At the time Tsay noted that he did not know he had faced the Monterey Park gunman. A computer coder, Tsay works at the dance hall a few nights a week. He is the third generation in his family to operate it, the Times reported. Tsay told ABC News’ Good Morning America that he had stayed in the hall after hosting a “social dance party” for Lunar New Year when he “heard the sound of the front door creaking closing and instantly followed by the sound of a metal object clinking together as if they were rubbing.” The deadly Monterey Park attack occurred about 20 minutes earlier. He added that when he finally gained control of the gun from the suspect he even had to threaten him before he left. “Finally, at one point, I was able to pull the gun away from him, shove him aside, create some distance, point the gun at him, intimidate him, shout at him and say: ‘Get the hell out here. I’ll shoot! Get away. Go!’ And at this point, I thought he would run away, but he was just standing there contemplating whether to fight or to run away. I really thought I would have to shoot him if he came at me.” According to KTLA, California Gov. Gavin Newsom visited Tsay’s home Monday, applauding him for his courage. “This remarkable young man without any hesitation, though with moments of fear, took it upon himself to save countless lives. Who knows how many lives he saved,” Newsom said outside Tsay’s home. Speaking to CBS Evening News Monday, Newsom acknowledged the increase in mass shootings in the state and country. At least two mass shootings have occurred in California state alone in the last three days. "Nothing about this is surprising. Everything about this is infuriating," he said. "The Second Amendment is becoming a suicide pact." Newsom clarified that he has "no ideological opposition" against people who "responsibly" own guns, get background checks, and have training on how to use them. While the motives are unclear, police think that the shootings were personal and targeted, not hate crime related. Despite the heartache and terror these shootings have caused, people across the country are hopeful due to bystanders like Tsay for their bravery, but such bravery doesn’t come without cost. The 26-year-old shared with KTLA that he has been experiencing some health issues since. “I’m having some trouble sleeping. I’ve been … you know, recalling events and what happened, contemplating the incident. I would say my mental health is recovering,” he said. “I just hope those people that were affected mostly by this incident also can recover safely.” While considered a global north country, the U.S. has one of the highest rates of gun violence across the globe. Gun control policies need to be put in place to ensure weapons are not easily accessible to all. Without more laws restricting access, communities and children nationwide will continue to suffer. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/24/2148981/--I-knew-I-was-going-to-die-Bystander-who-wrestled-and-disarmed-Monterey-Park-gunman-recalls-scene Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/