Jaden Perry, hero bystander takes down gun wielding man at packed Alaska State Fair that could’ve turned deadly as viral video shows the heart stopping moment when a brawler suddenly pulled out a weapon.
A selfless bystander has been hailed a hero after preventing an out of control brawl at a packed Alaska State Fair from becoming deadly after disarming a man who suddenly pulled out a gun.
Jaden Perry, 24, of Eagle River, inserted himself into the fight Monday upon seeing one of eight men involved in commotion brandishing a weapon.
Speaking in the aftermath, Perry told reporters in Anchorage that he wasn’t thinking about his own safety, but the swaths of young families still passing through the fairgrounds.
Selfless bystander risks his life to disarm gunman at packed Alaska State Fair
‘The first thought that went through my head is there are kids everywhere,’ Perry told KTUU.
‘I didn’t think much during it, but afterwards I’m glad I did. I would do it again every time. Last thing anybody needs to do is bury their child, take their kid to the hospital, or even a parent — they were everywhere.’
Viral video captured Perry managing to wrestle the gun away from the gun wielding man. Video shows Perry unloading the clip and emptying the chamber as the offender still held on to the gun.
Perry said the gunman told him he was going to shoot in self-defense, despite the fair being crowded that day.
Perry’s selflessness led to fair organizers, hailing Perry as a hero.
‘The Alaska State Fair commends the civilian for his actions to assist CMS in disarming the individual. His actions were heroic,’ Melissa Keefe, Alaska State Fair director of marketing and communications, said in a statement.
Gun violence pervasive in America
‘In addition, the actions of several unarmed CMS staff who took action to de-escalate the physical altercations taking place simultaneously during the incident should also be commended.’
Captured footage showed Perry and several fair staffers running over to break up the ensuing brawl. While several of those involved were caught slipping and sliding on the rain-soaked pavement, one young man pulled out a handgun and tried to cock it, video showed.
Perry grabbed the man by his arms to prevent him from firing, while others pushed the gun wielding man away.
‘Let it go!’ one man is heard shouting.
‘Stop fighting!’ another one demands.
Some of the brawlers, still intent on continuing aggressions, tried to body-slam their pacifiers, but to no avail.
Speaking about the ‘all too real’ prevalence of gun violence, Perry said, ‘People need to be aware [that] things go wrong at any minute, no matter where you are. It’s not okay for that to happen — at all. That should not have happened in the first place, but people do need to be aware that this is the thing that happens,’ Perry told KTUU.
‘We’re in an age where this is common. And it saddens me, it does, no matter what kind of gun control or gun laws are put out there, this will happen.’
While Perry has no military experience, his impressive ability to de-escalate the situation was highlighted by those commenting on the video posted to TikTok.
It’s unclear if any of the men involved in the fight were arrested or what sparked the dispute in the first place.
Authorities continue to investigate. Welcome to a brave new America…
