“You didn’t fail because you shot us. You failed because we had to go in at all. Where were you for those three minutes while kids were screaming?”
The school district offered to ban bikers from school property after the incident—”to avoid confusion in future emergencies.”
Over 400 families signed a petition saying they wanted the Patriot Guard Riders specifically invited to have a presence at the school. Mrs. Patterson led the charge from her wheelchair.
“These men did what needed doing,” she said at the school board meeting. “While police waited for protocol, they acted. I don’t care what they wear. I care that they cared more about my students than their own lives.”
Now, three years later, we have an official position. The Patriot Guard Riders provide volunteer security at Riverside Elementary. We’re trained, certified, and most importantly—trusted.
Tom rolls through those halls in his wheelchair every morning, high-fiving kids. They call him “Mr. Tom” and fight over who gets to push his chair at recess.
Mrs. Patterson keeps Spider’s photo on her desk. Next to it, a note he’d apparently written to his wife that morning: “Escorting fallen Marine home today. Honored to serve those who served. Home for dinner.”
He never made it home.
The shooter, Marcus Webb, is serving life without parole. During his allocution, he said something chilling: “I counted on the cops waiting. I knew they’d follow protocol. I didn’t count on the bikers.”
That’s the thing about protocol. Mass shooters study it. They know about perimeters and waiting for SWAT. They know the playbook.
Last month, there was another situation. Troubled kid with a gun two towns over. The call went out—active shooter at Jefferson Middle School.Continue reading…
