Teacher hailed a hero: Students not surprised Brady Olson risked his life to save others

LACEY, Wash. -- Students say a teacher is a hero for tackling a shooter to the ground early Monday inside North Thurston High School.

Brady Olson's wife says her husband was not ready to talk on camera on Monday as he was still processing the magnitude of the school shooting.

Shara Olson says she is so proud of her husband and isn't surprised that he risked his life to save others.

“After the second gunshot, people were hysterical, people were screaming,” said student Deven Weeks.

During that chaos, Weeks says a hero emerged.

“He was the first person I saw and the first person I looked for support,” he said.

Weeks says Olson rushed towards the gunfire as everyone looked for a way out.

“Wow! I can’t believe he ran towards it when we all ran away... he was leading the other two men to run towards him,” Weeks said.

Students say Olson bravely tackled the shooter from behind likely saving many lives, including his own daughter who is a freshman at North Thurston High School.

But Olson isn't willing to take all the credit. In a written statement he said:

“I reacted in a way that any other teacher would react and at the sound of a gunshot had -- three other adults, including Tim Brown, Dean of students, Principal Steve Rood, and security officer Jim Beltico, going toward the sound of gun fire than away."

Olson also named Ed Mclanahan, praising the school’s resource officer for his handling of the shooting.

“Heroic and selfless -- it was a great thing for them to do to risk their own lives to save the students,” said Asia Clark.

Clark and Ashley Duncan are friends' of Olson’s daughter.

“She said she was doing okay and she was a little shaken up I just wanted to make sure she was safe and her dad was safe,” Duncan said.

“Mr. Olson did a very heroic thing, and he is like a second dad to me,” said Clark.

These students are convinced Olson and the other men are their heroes preventing the unthinkable.

“Honestly, he did save a lot of people, possibly even me, possibly even all of my friends, possibly everyone around there,” Weeks said.

Olson is a father of two who teaches AP Government to seniors.

Students describe him as popular, caring, funny and at times, even sarcastic. Now students say he can add hero to that list.