Everyday heroes prevent further tragedy

Passengers of United Flight 93 fought back when their airplane was highjacked on September 11, 2001, losing their lives but thwarting the terrorists' plans to do further damage in our nation's capital.

Passengers in a more recent flight subdued a would-be suicide bomber, and nearly every day brings a story of ordinary people fighting back against those who would make a point with senseless violence.

We can't imagine what the "point" was Tuesday, but math teacher David Benke kept a deranged 32-year-old gunman from making it when he tackled him and kept him from shooting any more children at a middle school in a Denver suburb.

The alleged shooter, Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood, is an unemployed ranch hand and former student of the school who has been attending community college off and on in pursuit of his GED. He has an arrest record in Colorado dating back to 1996 for menacing, assault, domestic violence and driving under the influence, as well as mental issues.

After two students were shot, Benke tackled the gunman and with the help of another teacher and a bus driver, kept him down until authorities could take him into custody.

The school, Deer Creek Middle School, is only a few miles from Columbine High School where two students killed 12 others in 1999. Benke, who took part in drills following that shooting, recalled thinking "I hope that I could go after him."

It would have been easy, even justifiable, for the math teacher, father of 7-year-old twins and a 13-year-old girl, to turn and run the other way.

Thank God he didn't.

And thank God for more and more everyday heroes who see what needs to be done and do it quickly enough to prevent further carnage.