How To Stop A Shooter

The man who stopped a bar shooting incident by clobbering the gunman with a chair hailed as a hero.

The shooting at Jim's Sports Club Bar and Grill left one man dead, another critically wounded and a third with a less serious wound. Authorities said the "suspect", Jason Musburger, 47, a former Chisholm police officer, had gone to the bar to confront his ex-wife.

Ryan Simonson, 27, of Chisholm, confirmed that he was the patron who smashed a chair over Jason's head, knocking him unconscious.

"He's a hero," Mayor Michael Jugovich said, adding that Simonson likely saved other lives, given that the suspect had a second gun he was unable to use.

Ryan said he wasn't sure how to react to being called a hero.

"Right now, it's just kind of so surreal -- I'm not thinking about that aspect of it, I guess."

He said things happened so fast Saturday night that he's fuzzy on the details.

When the shooting started, Ryan threw a chair at the shooter, then grabbed another chair and hit the shooter over the head with it.

"I basically kept hitting him until he wasn't moving anymore."

"Honestly, I'm just kind of puzzled about it right now," Simonson said. "I don't know what made me do it."

Edward John Walberg, 40, died. Cale Steve Nelson, 29, remains in critical condition. Larry Vernon Elj, 38, was treated and released.

The 'susspect' Jason Musburger was treated for injuries at Fairview University Medical Center-Mesabi in Hibbing, according to a hospital spokeswoman. Vern Manner, interim police chief in Chisholm, said he expected charges to be filed.

Dear readers, that is how you do it.

I would have much rather seen an armed citizenry taking down this madman, but the hero of the story reacted correctly by taking down the gunman. I often wonder if the kids at NIU would have just pelted the shooter with their books, there would be more of them alive to tell the tale?