On Dec. 29, 2019, Jack Wilson stopped a mass shooting from taking place at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas. A gunman opened fire in the congregation, killing two people. Wilson stepped in the line of fire and took out the gunman.
"There's evil in the world. Be prepared to protect yourself. I killed evil. I took out evil," Wilson said in a video for Turning Point USA.
Wilson has an extensive background with firearms. He spent six years in the Texas Army National Guard, 30 years in the Department of Defense and 21 years training people how to accurately utilize a firearm.
He reminded gun owners of one important tidbit: to always practice and continue training.
"It doesn't start at that moment that you need to be able to protect yourself. You have to learn to use a firearm that you're comfortable with. Become proficient with it. Train with it," he explained.
Those who hate firearms are quick to point to guns as the cause of shootings, something Wilson completely disagrees with.
"The firearm is not the evil thing," Wilson explained. "The person behind it is either good or evil. It's not a firearms issue. It's a person issue."
Wilson recounted his experience last month, saying that when the gunman entered the building it was evident that he was dawning a wig and a fake beard.
"We observed the individual. We were watching the individual. I had gone into the audiovisual room and actually had them, you know, put a camera – train one of the cameras – specifically on the individual just to observe and watch," Wilson recounted. "The individual got up and that's when he turned with a shotgun, had pulled the shotgun out of his pocket and/or coat, underneath his coat."
Another person repeatedly told the gunman to drop his firearm.
"I had people in front of me that prevented me from taking a body shot, a torso shot," he said. "The only shot I had was the head shot. When I took the head shot the subject went down."
Wilson said the entire ordeal unfolded in a short period of time, in a matter of six seconds.
Even though Wilson has been repeatedly dubbed a hero, he doesn't see himself that way.
"My role is more of a protector for anyone who happens to be in the congregation," he explained. "Evil exists in multiple facets all over the country, all over the world and we have to address that."
Wilson credits God with giving him the training and the mindset to stop the situation. His congregation, however, is still in mourning for the two members of their church family who were killed at the hands of evil.
At the end of the day, Wilson doesn't believe he killed an individual but rather evil.
This story is a powerful reminder of the evil that exists in the world, that there are those who want to cause us harm. As gun owners, we have a responsibility to know our firearms, how they function and to continually undergo training. Although we pray we never have to use our firearms, we want to make sure we're prepared to do so should a situation similar to Wilson's faces us head on.
Jack is a hero.
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) January 20, 2020
A murderer came to Jack’s church in Texas.
Jack drew his firearm & put a single bullet into the monster's head from 50ft
Jack tells me, “Evil exists in the world - be prepared to defend yourself”
Democrats want to disarm heroes like Jack.
Don’t let them do it pic.twitter.com/MwnwT2r4Bv
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