Shannon Johnson: San Bernardino Shooting Victim Heralded A Hero For Saving Co-Worker’s Life

Shannon Johnson is a hero.

The San Bernardino shooting has changed the lives of hundreds of people, and while the mainstream media continues to focus on the shooters, there are other stories coming out that deserve to be heard.

Denise Peraza was one of the people involved in last week’s shooting, and she has a story to share that will instantly renew your faith in humanity. Often times when an event such as a terror attack occurs, people start to hear about the amazing courage and selflessness of people that shine a light on an otherwise dark story. Peraza’s account of what happened on that fateful day in California does just that.

According to CNN, Peraza’s life was spared thanks to her co-worker, Shannon Johnson. Johnson used his own body to shield Peraza, losing his life while saving hers.

Shannon Johnson, 45, “Rose before dawn each morning because he loved his job.” Said his girlfriend, Mandy. pic.twitter.com/cUpP7QlJGM

— KStreetHipster (@KStreetHipster) December 4, 2015

“I will always remember his left arm wrapped around me, holding me as close as possible next to him behind that chair. And amidst all the chaos, I’ll always remember him saying these three words, ‘I got you,'” Peraza recalled.

Shannon Johnson’s comforting words during such chaos never be forgotten.

Denise Peraza and Shannon Johnson were inside the Inland Regional Center when a husband and wife walked in with guns and began shooting. Peraza was shot in the back by one of the shooters (identified as Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, both of whom are now deceased), but she is alive and is said to be doing well while recovering at home. Peraza credits her survival to Johnson, who sacrificed his own life to spare hers.

This act of courage is now going viral. Denise Peraza and Shannon Johnson worked together in the same office for a while, but Peraza had recently been moved to another office. Both employees had been at the holiday gathering that soon became the scene for a mass murder.

“Just five minutes before two shooters fired close to 70 bullets into the crowd, she and Johnson were joking that the clock on the wall was broken because it had hardly moved. The party had offered a reunion of sorts. Peraza and Johnson had worked in the same office, with desks adjacent to each other, until two months ago, when Peraza had transferred to another office.”

Shannon Johnson wasn’t the only brave soul being recognized following Wednesday’s massacre. According to Fox News Insider, an unnamed California police officer is being called a hero for his actions in the aftermath of the shooting. The officer went into the building after the shooting and located a group of people who he needed to get out of harm’s way. He led the group of workers, all of whom were presumably terrified, and kept them calm as he walked them to safety.

“Try to relax, everyone. Try to relax. I’ll take a bullet before you do, that’s for damn sure. Just be cool, okay?” the officer can be heard saying in a video taken by one of the people in that group.

“That officer was definitely a hero. And that officer represents law enforcement officers all across this country,” said former DC homicide detective Rod Wheeler.

What Shannon Johnson did to protect Denise Peraza and what the unnamed officer did to keep those people calm are just two ways that show that there are still good people in this world. Hearing such acts of bravery is reassuring, and it is certainly something that people appreciate, especially in cases like this one.

The San Bernardino shooting left 14 people dead and injured 17 others. The investigation surrounding the case is ongoing.

[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images News]