A terrifying situation unfolded last week at Vandergriff Honda in suburban Dallas. Shocked witnesses reported that a recently fired employee, 25-year-old Abbas Al-Mutairy, entered the dealership at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday evening with a “blank, very calm” expression on his face — and a “long-style rifle.”

Then he shot out a window.

Employee David Mann described the showdown that immediately followed the initial shot.

“One of the service advisors has a gun, tries to defend himself, shoots back at him because he was walking toward the service area, then they get into an exchange.”

The witness said he saw the suspect shoot out the window. “Soon as he shoots the window, of course, we run, hear about 3-4 more shots.”

Mann said he was on the phone with law enforcement while the shots were fired. Police then arrived, and Al-Mutairy committed a tactical error. He approached them while still holding the rifle.

Multiple responding officers with the Arlington Police Department then shot the suspect, who is reported to be in critical condition. No one else in the dealership was injured, according to authorities.

Should Al-Mutairy pull through, he faces multiple felony charges including two counts of aggravated assault against a public servant and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. 

Additional charges are likely pending the conclusion of the investigation.

The armed employee who engaged the alleged shooter is nothing less than a hero. Without his presence of mind to carry his weapon and courage to face a potentially lethal threat, there is no telling what the outcome of Thursday’s attack would have been.

It stands as a stark reminder to always be prepared, even in places where a violent incident seems unlikely to occur. No one arrived at the dealership that morning expecting to face a life-or-death standoff, but that’s what awaited them.