EXCLUSIVE: Man who took down shooter at St. Stephen’s Episcopal recounts the incident
“I was laser focused on what I had to do and I did it.”
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - For the first time, we’re hearing from the man who took down the shooter at St. Stephen’s Episcopal church last year in Vestavia Hills.
“Bang, bang, bang. One second apart,” Jim Musgrove said as he recalled what he heard during a potluck dinner inside St. Stephen’s Episcopal church last year.
Not giving it a second thought, Musgrove - a 79-year-old Air Force veteran and retired investigator - says his instinct and adrenaline kicked in. He picked up a chair, using it as a shield, pointed the four legs toward the shooter and ran in his direction.
“When I got close to him, he had fired three shots, killed 3 people. He was aiming the gun for the fourth shot and was not looking in my direction, thank goodness,” Musgrove said.
Musgrove wrestled the gun out of the shooter’s hand and hit him multiple times with it in the head.
“At the same time, I put my hand on his neck, slammed his face down as far as it would go and I started hitting him on the head with his gun until he succumbed. He just relaxed,” Musgrove said.
Musgrove had to do that a few more times. He eventually pinned Robert Smith, the suspected shooter, down until police got there. He also noticed three of his friends has been shot and had fallen on the floor next to them.
“I looked down and I saw my wife. I saw Mr. Rainey, who was obviously dead. His wife was lying on top of him and my wife Lynn was lying with her,” Musgrove said.
The victims - Walter Rainey, Sarah Yeager and Jane Pounds - were like family to Musgrove and his wife. They can’t believe they’re gone.
“They are wonderful, wonderful people. There’s no reason. There is no reason at all that we can understand why the man did what he did,” Musgrove said.
Nearly a year later, the Musgroves are reflecting on that awful day. A day that tested their faith, but also strengthened it. Jim rushing in for help is nothing new to his wife Lin.
“This is who he is. If it has to be done, he’ll do it, and I think of his mom and his dad who are both deceased. That’s who they were. That’s how they reared him,” Lin Musgrove said.
Jim believes he had help from above when he went running towards extreme danger. He’s credited with saving multiple lives that day.
“You react the way you react and it’s the way God made us. I was laser focused on what I had to do and I did it,” Musgrove added.
Musgrove is set to receive the Carnegie Medal, which is one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, for running toward extreme danger to save lives. Musgrove also recently received a life saving award from the Vestavia Hills Police Department.
We asked Musgrove if he considers himself a hero. He says not in the purest sense. As he mentioned, he was laser focused on what he had to do and says he did it.
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