An Oregon high school football coach has been praised nationwide after dramatic footage showed him calmly disarming a student carrying a shotgun and then hugging him.
The intense incident happened back in May, but the video has only just been released.
The confrontation took place on May 17 at Parkrose High School in Portland. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office released the footage on Friday, shortly after court proceedings wrapped up.
The coach at the centre of it all was Keanon Lowe, who works at the school as a football and track coach and also serves as a security guard. Almost immediately after the incident, Lowe was labelled a hero for his actions.
‘My instincts just took over’
In the newly released video, Lowe can be seen walking out of a classroom holding the shotgun while the student walks alongside him.
The moment becomes even more powerful when the two stop and embrace. Lowe then calmly hands the weapon to another person, who quickly removes it from the scene.
Lowe later explained that he had been standing in the classroom when the student entered with the weapon. Without hesitation, he lunged forward and grabbed the gun as other students fled through a separate exit.
“Then it was just me and that student. It was a real emotional time,” Lowe said back in May. “I felt compassion for him. A lot of times, especially when you’re young, you don’t realize what you’re doing until it’s over.”
He said he had been called to the classroom to escort a student to the office but was given no other details. Less than a minute after arriving, the student walked in carrying the shotgun.
“It was a pretty crazy situation,” Lowe said. “My instincts just took over. I lunged for the gun, put two hands on it, and made sure the barrel wasn’t pointed at me or the students. I was able to wrestle it away.”
Mental health crisis, not an attack
Prosecutors later identified the student as Angel Granados-Diaz, who was 18 at the time and is now 19. Authorities said he brought the loaded shotgun to school during a mental health crisis.
Granados-Diaz pleaded guilty on October 10 to unlawful possession of a firearm in a public building and unlawful possession of a loaded firearm in public.
He was sentenced to three years of probation and is currently receiving treatment for mental health and substance abuse issues.
Prosecutor Parakram Singh said the investigation found that Granados-Diaz did not intend to harm anyone else. According to officials, his intention was to harm only himself.
After Lowe disarmed him, the two walked out together before police arrived. Officers then handcuffed Granados-Diaz and took him into custody without further incident.
‘This usually ends in tragedy’
Lowe, who previously played football at the University of Oregon and later worked as an assistant coach in the NFL, reflected on how close the situation came to disaster.
“This is a story that usually ends in tragedy,” he said. “From God’s will, this ended up well. We were in the headlines, but it wasn’t a tragedy. I am thankful for that.”
Since the footage was released, many people have praised Lowe not just for his bravery, but for showing compassion in a moment where fear could easily have taken over.
The video has reignited conversations about mental health, school safety, and the power of calm, human connection in moments of crisis.
Featured image credit: TODAY
