the incident started when the perpetrator randomly entered a neighbor's house and started screaming a lot of gibberish about Jesus told him to do what he was about to do. He then, without warning, pulled out a gun and started shooting at the 5 occupants in the house....grazing one of the occupants (the occupants had no relationship with the assailant and the incident was completely random). All 5 of them ran outside and the perp followed them out and continued firing. One of the occupants then ran back inside and obtained his firearm and shot the assailant in his yard, critically wounding him.

My coworker (who is in IT and also an associate minister at a local church), a husband of 6 young children, was inside his home with his family and heard the commotion and ran outside to see the assailant in extreme pain laying on the ground screaming (he did not know this man was the assailant). He ran outside telling the young man as he approached that he was there to help him. The guy rolled over and shot at him two times at point-blank range. Amazingly, the bullets just grazed him in the face and stomach. When he was asked why he went to help the young man he said if you would have heard his screams you would have too. I'm not sure it was the smartest thing to do (since a shooting scene was not secure and no police had arrived), but that's just the kind of person he is. When the police arrived they ordered the assailant to drop his gun and he wouldn't, but they were able to apprehend him without firing a shot (he had emptied his clip during his previous rampage).

The assailant is in critical condition and he has a long history of mental health issues, including a prior incident of attempted murder. The police are obviously investigating how he obtained his firearm, as well as why he was even out on the streets. But it just goes to show in one instance your life is normal and routine, and then in a split second it can change (or even be taken away) in a flash. My friend is home after an overnight hospital stay, but his attitude is such that he said he would do it again 100 times out of 100. That's just the way he is.