Security Guard Ends Attack Before Armed Predator Claims a Single Life
When evil walks through the doors of a church, what stops it isn’t bureaucracy—it’s bravery. Just ask Stephen Willeford, the man who grabbed his gun and confronted the Sutherland Springs church gunman in 2017, saving countless lives with nothing but his rifle, his resolve, and his right to bear arms.
Now, history echoes in Michigan, where a volunteer security guard stopped a would-be mass shooter at a church before police could even arrive. According to reports, the gunman entered the church armed with a handgun and extra magazines—but he was taken down within seconds by an alert, armed citizen serving as a volunteer guard. No innocent lives were lost.
Stephen Willeford, now the national spokesman for Gun Owners of America, knows exactly what that moment feels like. He lived it. And he’s speaking out.
“This is what the Second Amendment was made for,” Willeford says. “Time and again, when seconds count, law enforcement is still minutes away. It’s the responsibly armed citizen who saves lives—not bystanders, not phone calls, but action.”
Gun Owners of America has long warned that so-called “gun-free zones” create soft targets. The Michigan church wasn’t one—and that made all the difference. The lesson? Deterrence works. Preparedness matters. And disarming good people only empowers the bad.
Willeford is available for interviews to offer expert commentary on defensive gun use, the psychology of armed response, and why the mainstream media continues to ignore stories where lawful gun owners stop mass shootings. He brings lived experience, constitutional clarity, and an unapologetic voice to the national conversation.
Another mass shooting stopped. Another church saved. Another reason we must protect the right to self-defense. Stephen Willeford can explain why it won’t be the last.
To schedule an interview with Mr. Willeford, please reply to this message.
Stephen Willeford: The Good Guy With a Gun Who Saved Lives—Now Speaking Out Before It’s Too Late.
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Q&A:
- What happened at the Michigan church, and how did the volunteer security guard stop the attack?
- How does Stephen Willeford’s experience in Sutherland Springs mirror what happened in Michigan?
- Why is the phrase “when seconds count, police are minutes away” so critical in these cases?
- What role does armed citizenship play in preventing mass casualties during active shooter incidents?
- How would events have unfolded differently if the Michigan church had been a gun-free zone?
- Why does Stephen Willeford believe the Second Amendment is essential in modern America?
- How does Gun Owners of America respond to critics who downplay defensive gun use stories?
- What message does this latest church incident send to policymakers and the American public?You recently wrote a book called A Town Called Sutherland Springs: Faith and Heroism Through Tragedy, revolving around your 2017 “hero with a gun” situation. Tell us more about how this came together, and why it’s such an important read right now.
- Where can people find your book?
- Where can we learn more about you, as well as Gun Owners of America?
- You can learn more at http://www.thebarefootdefender.com. You can also read more about the Gun Owners of America at https://www.gunowners.org/.
ABOUT STEPHEN WILLEFORD…
Stephen represents Gun Owners of America and is known around the country as the “good guy with the gun” for helping stop the largest Texas mass shooting in the history of the state in 2017. He is available to speak about all gun rights issues, as well as the importance of Gun Owners of America. He is the author of the book A Town Called Sutherland Springs: Faith and Heroism Through Tragedy. You can read more about him at http://www.thebarefootdefender.com.
ABOUT MARK JONES…
Mark Jones is National Director for the Gun Owners of America and also directs the National Hunter Outreach Program across the United States. He also manages legislative responsibilities in Wyoming and is a Certified Wildlife Biologist.
Mark built GOA’s National Hunter Outreach Program almost four years ago after retiring from his first career as a Big Game and Small Game Biologist. Mark has nearly three decades of experience performing wildlife research, publishing peer-reviewed scientific papers, managing wildlife resources, working with hunters and recreational shooters, and engaging in legislative issues with governmental policy.
Mark has been very active in helping GOA take on a National role in protecting the American Hunting Traditions. He is also well known in the Legislature and political circles where he has worked to pass a variety of pro-Second Amendment and pro-hunting Legislation in recent years.
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