Keanon Lowe, who embraced armed Parkrose High School student, writes about Oregon life in ‘Hometown Victory’

Keanon Lowe grew up in Gresham, performed soccer for College of Oregon, after which began teaching within the NFL. However then his greatest buddy from highschool, Taylor Martinek, died of an opioid overdose and every part modified. Lowe got here again to Oregon and commenced teaching soccer at Parkrose Excessive Faculty. It was there, in 2019, that he stopped a younger man with a shotgun on the faculty.

Lowe’s new autobiography is named “Hometown Victory.” OPB’s Paul Marshall spoke with him.

Paul Marshall : If you disarmed the gunman, Angel (Granados-Diaz), you write that there was a sense of reduction, however you additionally say that you simply felt a way of ache from Angel. Are you able to discuss a bit extra about that?

Keanon Lowe: The reduction got here from clearly the scenario and the way it was dealt with and no photographs have been fired and no person bought harm. However the ache and disappointment that I bought from that scenario was in seeing a younger man that was simply crying out for assist. He didn’t see every other method out besides to hurt himself and that’s simply such a tragic scenario. I gained a number of perspective working at that college and with these younger folks, whether or not they have been on the soccer crew or not. I labored safety in that college. So I bought to know a number of these youngsters and a number of the challenges that they have been going by means of day in and time out. I actually had an opportunity to essentially really feel what he was going by means of and I feel that’s why I reacted in the best way I did and tried to point out him some love and provides him a hug and inform him that I care about him. I may inform he was only a child crying out for assist and and I really feel for him as a result of I’ve been in darkish locations like that as nicely in my life.

Marshall: When the footage bought launched and everybody was capable of see it, do you know your life had modified?

Lowe: It modified just a few occasions throughout that incident when the encounter occurred with the younger man with the gun then it modified with all the eye that I began to get with the breaking information story that I tackled the younger man and took a gun away from him and stopped a mass capturing.

Then it modified in one other method and some months later the video got here out and it went viral and everybody noticed that it wasn’t a sort out that saved the day, that it was a hug and it was love that saved the day.

Marshall: What was the most important lesson you discovered from teaching at Parkrose?

Lowe: I didn’t know all of it. It was a really humbling expertise. I got here into Parkrose realizing that these younger males that I had the chance to work with. I knew that they went by means of their struggles and had powerful arms dealt to them as youngsters.

I didn’t actually absolutely grasp it till I used to be there on a day after day foundation the place it was lots worse than I even thought it will be. I had youngsters going by means of a number of issues that actually put my life into perspective. Abruptly my issues or mishaps in my life didn’t appear very large as a result of I used to be teaching and mentoring youngsters that went by means of rather more than I did.

Marshall: Are you able to describe your greatest buddy Taylor Martinek?

Lowe: Taylor was one of many nicest human beings that I ever got here throughout. And he was good, however he additionally had a fiery character. He appreciated to joke round. He appreciated to have enjoyable whether or not it was sports activities, faculty or something. He didn’t take something too severe. I went to Jesuit Excessive Faculty, so there weren’t an entire bunch of scholars that resembled me. At occasions it was powerful to determine who I used to be and I took all that stuff slightly bit too severe after which I’ve a buddy like Taylor Martinek who simply goes with the move.

The one factor that can at all times keep on with me about Taylor is that he was at all times my greatest fan ever since the highschool days, however particularly as soon as we sort of went our separate methods.

I went to the College of Oregon to play soccer and he went to Portland State to play soccer. He continued to be my greatest fan and my greatest supporter, the place he actually did and nonetheless had a number of confidence in myself. I’m excited with this story on this e-book, to maintain his legacy going and hopefully assist another folks coping with among the similar issues he handled.

Marshall: What influence did his demise from an opioid overdose have in your life?

Lowe: It was the darkest time of my whole life — a time the place my entire life modified.

I began to take a look at life slightly bit completely different. You’re feeling very invincible whenever you’re younger and also you simply graduated school. You’re in your early twenties and you are feeling invincible till one thing tragic like this occurs and also you notice, and begin to perceive how actual life can get and the way severe some penalties will be. Sadly, it took the demise of of my greatest buddy to appreciate that when he handed away, I made him a promise that I used to be going to proceed to dwell the most effective life that I may and do essentially the most good that I may for him and I used to be gonna do something I may to maintain his legacy going and proceed to recollect his identify within the e-book.

Marshall: You stated that you simply don’t consider your self as a hero. Do you continue to really feel that method?

Lowe: I do really feel that method. I feel the act was positively heroic. For my part, there’s on a regular basis heroes in every single place you look and everybody has the chance to be a hero in their very own group or to be a hero of their office or to be a hero for his or her youngsters and their household and buddies. So long as you’re making different folks’s lives higher, you is usually a hero in your individual world. Even when we don’t know somebody, or even when we all know them, so long as we proceed to assist one another and assist one another, I feel you is usually a hero in your individual proper.