Friday, June 12, 2009
Eight people gathered Thursday night at South Park for a candlelight vigil paying tribute to Stephen Tyrone Johns, a security officer for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Johns was the lone victim of a fatal shooting at the museum on Wednesday.
Megan Gonzalez, Junction City senior, organized the vigil. She said people didn’t necessarily think of security guards as heroes, and that they were usually taken for granted.
M J McLendon, assistant professor of English, looks on solemnly at a candle light vigil held for Stephen Tyrone Johns, a security officer for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. who was shot and killed Wednesday. McLendon teaches a Holocaust literature class and said that society must not respond to the victim’s shooter with any form of violence or hatred.
Megan Gonzalez, Junction City senior, listens as others speak at the candle light vigil she helped organize. The vigil was held for Stephen Tyrone Johns, a security officer for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. who was shot and killed Wednesday. organized the vigil.
“You think of them as people who just look for shoplifters, but you never think of them as people who protect people’s lives,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said she woke up yesterday morning with the idea of holding a candlelight vigil and talked with her friend Matt Rissien, Overland Park senior, about getting the word out. Rissien said he helped her spread the word about the vigil to the Lawrence Jewish Community Center and its listserv as well as texted and e-mailed friends throughout the day about the event.
“Locally, whenever something happens like this, it really brings us all together,” Rissien said. “Not just the local Jewish community, but also people who have a heart.”
Gonzalez said she was talking to her mom when she saw the first breaking news on TV about the shooting and said she feared the worst.
In eighth grade, Gonzalez visited the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum during a spring break class trip to Washington, D.C.
“I remember the museum’s big open area and all I could think was ‘It’s going to be a disaster,’” Gonzalez said.
Among the eight people in attendance were KU students, a faculty member and local citizens who had lived through WWII with family members who were in the Holocaust. Holding lit candles, they took turns sharing their thoughts on Johns’ bravery, pausing for silence in remembrance of the fallen security guard at 8:30 p.m.
As a security officer for the museum, Johns opened the museum door for the 88-year-old James W. von Brunn before Brunn raised a hidden .22-caliber rifle a split second later and shot Johns at close range.
Brunn, a convicted felon and follower of anti-Semitic and white supremacy ideology, was wounded by two security officers returning fire before possibly injuring any other people in the museum.
M J McLendon, assistant professor of English, teaches a Holocaust literature class and attended the vigil. McLendon said that society must not respond to the victim’s shooter with any form of violence or hatred.
“I will tolerate these people in this world, but I won’t like them,” McLendon said.
What Gonzalez said she most wanted to accomplish through the vigil was to spread the word about Johns, to possibly set up a foundation for his wife and 12-year-old daughter, and to call attention to these recent hate crimes, including the fatal shooting of George Tiller.
“It didn’t matter how many people showed up, even if it got attention, something needed to be done,” Gonzalez said. “Enough is enough and we need to recognize that there’s a problem.”
For updates on possible donations for the family of Stephen Tyrone Johns, go to http://www.wsihq.com.
— — Edited by Brandy Entsminger
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Comments
Community pays tribute to security officer
Thank you again for covering this story. I can't express how grateful officer Johns security firm was when they heard word people from Kansas wanted to help.
*I would like to note that he left behind a wife of one year and 11 year old son, not daughter.
Wackenhut Services Inc. has established the Stephen T. Johns Memorial Fund. Those wishing to make a contribution to the fund can do so by sending a check or money order made payable to Zakiah Christina Johns c/o WSI to:
Wachovia 4440 PGA Blvd Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
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