Concealed Carrier Confronts Rampaging Shooter, Boy Scout Aids the Wounded

By Lina Bryce

When a concealed carry permit holder attempts to stop an Army Vet from shooting innocent people, on a road called “Memorial Drive,” during Memorial Day weekend, while a Boy Scout delivers first aid to a gunshot victim, you would assume the story would be widely reported. However, it took some digging from some local media outlets to find out what exactly happened.

Thirty-year-old, Byron Wilson, who has a permit to carry, drew his handgun and engaged a rampaging shooter in Houston, Texas on Sunday. According to ABC13, he is in critical condition, having been shot three times in the legs and shoulder, at Ben Taub Hospital.

It was reported that 185 shots were fired, including five at a police helicopter and a number of shots at the vehicles of responding officers.

Sadly, the gunman was later identified as Dionisio Garza, an Army veteran who was honorably discharged two years after serving multiple tours in Afghanistan.

Garza’s father later told Click2Houston in an exclusive interview that he believes his 25-year-old son, who did not have a criminal history, may have suffered from PTSD.

“We have not received confirmation, but I strongly suspect. I really believe this is a PTSD thing,” he said.

He now believes there might have been signs that he was suffering.

“On the internet he met some people or some people that believed like him,” alluding to the conversation he had with his son prior to the shooting, saying that the country is facing economic collapse and they should all move to Texas.

Byron’s mother, Sheri, also told reporters how she felt once she learned about the young Veteran.

“A veteran. A nice looking guy,” she said. “I mean, what are we doing? What are we doing for our veterans? They, too, have families. They’re hurting and we have got to listen. We have to listen.”

This memorial day weekend also highlighted the act of another good Samaritan and Boy Scout Nick Latiolais, 17. According to Khou news, he was driving with his mom to a doctor’s appointment when he saw a group of people surrounding a man lying on the road. He used the man’s vest to put pressure on the leg wound where he appeared to have been shot.

“I just made sure I told him, you know, ‘you’re doing great. Help is on the way. It looks like you’re going to be all right.’”

Latiolais described the victim as a man in his mid 20’s who had moved to the United States from South America last year.

It had been reported by police that Garza approached the car wash and shot  Eugene Linscomb in the neck with a pistol, killing him. He then returned to the tire store to get an AR-15, opened fire, striking six people, in addition to Linscomb.

The heroism of Latiolais and Wilson should be recognized, but the media has all but ignored this story.

William McDaniel who owns Memorial Auto and Tire where the victim was killed, found his business riddled with bullet holes on Monday.

He said that the victim would get his car washed there regularly.

“Couldn’t believe it… just coming to get his car washed and get his head blown off,” said McDaniel.

Click2Houston reported that Felicia and Paris Nichols, who operates an auto detailing shop, claims that their lives were spared by the shooter because they were Christians and witnessed him shoot and kill Eugene Linscomb, a longtime customer of their business.

“My wife got on the ground and started praying,” Paris Nichols said. “He said, ‘I’m not going to kill you all because you are Christians. But the (obscenity) Jews got to go.’”

Felicia Nichols says she isn’t sure how he could tell she was a Christian because she didn’t say anything specific to give him that impression and news reports say that one of the victims was Christian.

The Nichols ran when their lives were spared and waited in Welch’s backyard for the shooter to be killed.

“He was one of our first customers when we opened,” Felicia Nichols said. “Yesterday, he had a huge smile when we saw him.”

It has also been reported that Garza was from San Bernardino, California.