Illinois School Resource Officer Interrupts School Shooter

Illinois School Resource Officer Interrupts School Shooter

Dixon High School's School Resource Officer has been called a hero after interrupting a student who fired several shots in the school.

Roughly 180 students were in the gymnasium of Dixon High School in Illinois practicing for graduation at around 8 a.m. on Wednesday when authorities say a 19-year-old senior came out of the bathroom with a gun and started firing.

School resource officer Mark Dallas was quick to the scene, rushing the shooter in an effort to protect the students, including his own son.

Seniors inside the gym told local reporters that they heard four to five shots ring out and the SRO yell, "Hey, stop." Students barricaded themselves in classrooms as they had been trained to do, others ran from the building as fast as they can.

As the shooter was running away, he fired at Dallas, who returned fire, hitting the suspect in the shoulder. Dallas then arrested the suspect.

School officials and law enforcement praised Dallas as a hero. Without his quick thinking and fearlessness, "much worse things would have happened" that day.

"Our kids did a fantastic job, our staff did a fantastic job, our resource officer did a fantastic job," school principal Mike Grady said at a news conference. "It was a situation where this is the best possible outcome we could have."

The mother of the shooter says she had no idea he had possession of a gun, which belonged to her, but was kept at her 91-year-old grandfather's house. The suspect has been charged with three felony counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and remains at an area hospital on 24-hour watch. 

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Freedom of Choice

    In today's security landscape, we are witnessing a fundamental transformation in how organizations manage digital evidence. Law enforcement agencies, campus security teams, and large facility operators face increasingly complex challenges with expanding video data, tightening budget constraints and inflexible systems that limit innovation. Read Now

  • Accelerating a Pathway

    There is a new trend touting the transformational qualities of AI’s ability to deliver actionable data and predictive analysis that in many instances, seems to be a bit of an overpromise. The reality is that very few solutions in the cyber-physical security (CPS) space live up to this high expectation with the one exception being the new generation of Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) software – herein recategorized as PIAM+. Read Now

  • Protecting Your Zones

    It is game day. You can feel the crowd’s energy. In the parking lot. At the gate. In the stadium. On the concourse. Fans are eager to party. Food and merchandise vendors ready themselves for the rush. Read Now

  • Street Smarts

    The ongoing acceptance of AI and advanced data analytics has allowed surveillance camera technology to shift from being a tactical tool to a strategic business solution. Combining traditional surveillance technology with AI-based data-driven insights can streamline transportation systems, enhance traffic management, improve situational awareness, optimize resource allocation and streamline emergency response procedures. Read Now

  • Midtown Manhattan Shooting Kills 4, Including NYPD Officer

    Four people were killed, including a NYPD officer, in a midtown Manhattan shooting on Monday. That’s according to CNN. Read Now

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”