Are you prepared for an active shooter incident? Michael Julian, the founder of A.L.I.V.E., believes that preparation is critical to survival. A.L.I.V.E. stands for Assess, Leave, Impede, Violence, and Expose, a philosophy he has been teaching throughout the United States since 2014.
Recently, Michael Julian was featured on KCAL CBS local news, discussing the mass shooting in Monterey Park and the importance of being prepared for such a tragic event. He shared with the audience how his A.L.I.V.E. philosophy can help individuals and organizations to increase their chances of survival in an active shooter situation.
Here are some of the Monterey Park details given by Brandon Tsay
On Saturday night, as the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio was winding down, with less than 30 minutes until closing, Brandon Tsay, the third-generation operator of the family-run dance hall in Alhambra, was in the office off the lobby, watching the ballroom when he heard the front doors swing closed and a strange clang that sounded like metallic objects hitting each other. He turned around to see a semiautomatic assault pistol pointed at him.
“He was looking at me and looking around, not hiding that he was trying to do harm. His eyes were menacing,” recalled Mr. Tsay, who struggled with the gunman and eventually disarmed him, saving countless lives and averting another tragedy. It was an act that officials roundly praised as heroic. The gunman, who authorities identified as Huu Can Tran, 72, was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot in a van about 30 miles away, according to law enforcement officials.
Mr. Tsay said the weapon the gunman was carrying signaled he intended to inflict maximum damage. “How it was built and customized, I knew it wasn’t for robbing money,” he said. “From his body language, his facial expression, his eyes, he was looking for people.”
Sheriff Robert Luna of Los Angeles County said in a news briefing Sunday afternoon that “two community members” had disarmed the gunman at the Alhambra ballroom. “This could have been much worse,” he said. But Mr. Tsay and his family, who reviewed the security camera footage from the lobby of the ballroom, said it was he alone who fought the gunman over control of the weapon and wrested it from him.
“It was just my son. He could have died,” said his father, Tom Tsay, who said he was proud of his son for the bravery he showed. “He’s lucky, someone was watching over him.” His older sister, Brenda, who currently runs the business, said the video showed a prolonged, fierce struggle between the two men all over the lobby.
His older sister, Brenda, who currently runs the business, said the video footage from the lobby showed a prolonged and intense struggle between the two men. According to her, the gunman was determined to regain control of the weapon.
Brandon, a computer coder who occasionally works at the family’s ballroom, said he was facing the gunman at around 10:35 p.m. Saturday, although he did not recognize him. Despite never having seen a real gun before, he could tell that it was a deadly weapon. “My heart sank, I knew I was going to die,” he said.
Without hesitation, Brandon lunged and grabbed the weapon by its barrel, starting a struggle with the gunman for control of it. “It was a primal instinct,” he said. “I don’t know what came over me.” The fight lasted for about a minute and a half, and both men were similarly matched in strength, according to Mr. Tsay. He saw an opportunity when the gunman briefly looked down at the weapon, and he managed to pry the pistol away from him. He pointed the weapon back at the gunman and shouted, “Go, get the hell out of here,” as he recalls.
After assisting the police with their investigation throughout the night, Brandon felt deeply affected by the events of that evening and had not yet been able to fully process them. He felt particularly heartbroken for the community of Monterey Park and the surrounding areas, where his family and their ballroom had been a beloved haven for over three decades.
