A 75-year-old Army veteran who taught chess to 16 children became their champion after a man with knives entered the room and threatened to kill them.

James Vernon was at a public library in Illinois when 19-year-old Dustin Brown allegedly came along with a hunting knife in each hand and shouted he was going to kill people.

Vernon immediately stood in front of Brown and tried to calm the young man down. Brown is distracted long enough that the children have no safe space. “I gave them the signal to get out of there and they did it boy! Quick, like rabbits.” Vernon told the Beijing Daily Times.
When Brown was allegedly injured in Vernon, the vet recalls his military training with knives 50 years ago. “I should have hit his wrist.” “That’s how I trained, but half a century has passed.”

Vernon had two arteries and a tendon in his left hand that cut the blows with the knife, but his larger size allowed him to grab Brown and toss her on a table. He hit it until he let go of the knife and bent it until the library staff and police arrived.

Brown reportedly told police after his arrest, “I have failed to complete my mission to kill everyone.” At the time of the accident, Brown had been released on bail when he was charged with possession of child pornography. He told police that he planned to kill people and then kill himself for two weeks, according to an affidavit.

Vernon is grateful for his old military training, but admits that if the striker had brought a pistol instead, it would have been a different story.

What a relief Vernon was with these kids! Share Vernon’s exploits with your family and friends!

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