'Calm under pressure': Offutt airman takes heroic action during shooting
When the Friar Family sat down for dinner on Aug. 6, the last thing they expected to hear was gunshots. "A lot of people in the neighborhood light fireworks," said Harrison Friar. "At first, we weren't concerned."But it wasn't fireworks. And the sound didn't stop. "It was so close that I felt there was something wrong, like really wrong," said his wife, Brielle Friar. READ MORE: Iowa officials identify 2 victims of deadly shooting, fire in GlenwoodTheir neighborhood off Grover Street in Glenwood, Iowa, was under siege. Their neighbor, Dennis Burnell, had already killed two people and was returning to his house. "My first instinct was to keep my family safe, keep my neighbors safe, and keep my neighborhood safe," Harrison Friar said. They didn't know he'd already taken two lives: 38-year-old Brandon Oman and his wife, 35-year-old Stevie Oman.After getting their four kids to safety in a back room, the Friars went outside to confront Burnell, who lived directly across the street. The Friar family moved to Glenwood about a year ago from Michigan. Harrison Friar is stationed at Offutt Air Force Base as a senior airman specializing in linguistics. His military training and protective instincts kicked in. "When seeing someone actively shooting at buildings and people in the neighborhood, I retrieved my firearm as a deterrent," he said. "I never intended to use it."Security cameras from the Friar's home capture the incident. Burnell is heard firing at least eight times toward them and their house. "He raised his firearm at me, and I tried to de-escalate the situation by yelling, 'Don't!'" he said. "But that didn't do anything. So he's intending to kill me, my wife, whoever he can, so I fired back two times."Previous coverage: 2 people killed, 1 person in critical condition after shooting, fire in IowaHarrison Friar believes he hit Burnell in the leg and wrist with one of his shots. "He had hundreds of rounds in his house," he said. "I think he intended to take as many people with him as he could before I confronted him. When I hit him in the leg, I think it immobilized him slightly."About a minute later, law enforcement arrived from every angle. Burnell eventually set his home on fire and died. Friar credits his military training with teaching him how to take action in the midst of chaos. "I feel like it taught me to be a little more calm under pressure," Friar said. "As I was fired upon, I felt like I almost got tunnel vision -in a good way. It gave me some clarity."Now, they've patched more than half a dozen bullet holes in their home. One of their vehicles was totaled by the nearby flames. Another vehicle had its windshield replaced because of a bullet hole. Brielle Friar said it's hard to describe the pride she has in her husband. "It's hard to explain it," she said. "It's something you hope someone would do, and I'm so glad he did." And Harrison Friar has a message for parents and spouses everywhere. "It's good to have everything at your disposal, to be prepared," he said. "Give some thought to things happening — anything from a fire and having an extinguisher to something like this."NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
