Local man honored for stopping gunman at Homecoming game

HAYWOOD COUNTY, Tenn.-A local man is honored for “shielding” a gunman from shooting at a football game and his name is very fitting.

City and county officials honored Patrick Shields with an award at a monthly meeting in Haywood Monday night. Shields served with the U.S. Army National Guard for 22 years. His skills kicked in at the Haywood High school versus Crockett County Homecoming game two weeks ago when he grabbed a gun from a student’s hand and took him to the ground before the student could do any harm.

” I’m still taking it in each day, like I said, I don’t think I’m a hero, but I just felt like I was doing something right at the time,” said Shields.

Shields will be honored in Brownsville on Tuesday.