John Masterson is the social Studies teacher who has been hailed hero for disarming school shooter Mason Campbell, saving the lives of hundred of children at Berrendo Middle School in Roswell, New Mexico
51-year-old John C. Masterson, the social studies teacher at Berrendo middle School heard the gunshots coming from the gymnasium and didn’t have to think twice about what he had to do next, some might think Prof. Masterson wasn’t thinking clearly, he was just lucky, but we think guardian angels stand next to those who are willing to risk their lives to save the lives of those who can’t defend themselves, what John Masterson did next was pretty heroic!
He stood in front of the 12-year-old shooter a seventh grader identified as Mason Campbell, had just just two children before the opening bell, Jonh Masterson talked the boy into dropping the 20-guage shotgun he was pointing directly at his face, when the boy finally did, a state police lieutenant who had just drop off his child at Berendo heard the shots, run to the gymnasium and found that Masterson had disarmed the suspect.
It’s one thing for an armed state police officer to enter the school and do his or her job,” New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas told reporters. “It’s another thing for a teacher, staff member to intervene in a situation like this.”
The children injured an 11-year-old unidentified boy was shot in the face and remains in critical condition, the other child injured was identified as Kendal sander a 13-year-old girl who was shot on right shoulder, she is recovering and expected to survive.
It’s suspected Mason Campbell, alarmed other students about his plans and told them not to go to school that day. An eight grader said she was bumped by the shooter when he headed to the gymnasium, he apologized to her before he opened the door of the gymnasium and took out the gun from his backpack.
12-year-old Mason Campbell a eight grader at Berrendo High School, lives on North Sycamore Court in Roswell, our sources told us Mason is a relative of Albuquerque criminal defense attorney Jason Bowles.
Professor Masterson graduated from Lompoc High in California in 1978, he holds a bachelor of criminal Justice from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces and a MA Technology in education from Lesley university in Cambridge, MA, He lives in Roswell, NM with his wife Leah Jean Turner an English and reading teacher at Roswell Independent School District, and his sons Chris at Navy man at Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, James a youth intern at Mansfield Church of Christ and former Intramural Sports director at Lubbock Christian University and daughter Jacquelyn.