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-Lurid Crime Tales-

75 year old Morton, IL CAT retiree and vet saves children from attacker

2015-10-17

[Weasel Zippers] A former Army vet is recovering from stab wounds after putting himself between 16 terrified children and a knife-wielding teen determined to kill at an Illinois public library this week.

"He actually ran into the room yelling, 'I'm going to kill some people!'" James Vernon told the Pekin Daily Times Thursday.

Vernon, 75-- a retired Caterpillar technology worker and Army vet--is recovering from surgery at his home in Morton, Illinois. He was leading a chess club meeting with local kids at the Morton library Tuesday afternoon when Dustin Brown, 19, burst into the room holding a knife in each hand and threatening the children.

"I failed my mission to kill everyone," Brown told police Thursday, according to a prosecutor's court affidavit that accompanied formal charges, including attempted murder.

Posted by:Besoeker

#7 You'd like to think anybody would have done it--except pajamaboi--but having signed the check made out to the USA for any amount up to and including my life seems to have a lasting effect.

Posted by: Richard Aubrey 2015-10-17 22:30

#6 Tell me Gran Torino is just fiction.

Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-10-17 16:52

#5 Fred - I absolutely echo your comments.

It is not the "size of the dog in the fight" - it is the "size of the fight in the dog" that matters - even if the hero dog is long in the tooth.

Mr. James Vernon - I salute you - and I will drink to your health tomorrow - in my hometown of Bangkok, Thailand,

Posted by: Lone Ranger 2015-10-17 13:27

#4 Sorry, P2K. Knives are no match for an armed gestappo, so we will not get the knife control that we obviously desperately need.

Posted by: gorb 2015-10-17 11:38

#3 Here at the Burg we try to keep our commentary witty and intellectual.

Mr. Vernon is a hero, of course. He probably never knew he was until it was called for. ("Army vet" can include unheroic jobs like finance clerk or veterinary specialist. Not everybody is combat arms or combat support.) I do admire him.

19-year-old Brown's life "sucked." My witty and intellectual commentary on him doesn't get any further than "stupid asshole."

Posted by: Fred 2015-10-17 11:01

#2 Never bring a mere knife to a chess match!

Posted by: CrazyFool 2015-10-17 10:52

#1 Another case of mental illness. Knife control! Now!

Posted by: Procopius2k 2015-10-17 10:09

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