Four Dads Take Down 83-Year-Old Man Who Allegedly Opened Fire at Texas High School Band Competition

Four Texas dads were hailed as heroes after stopping a man who allegedly opened fire at their kids’ high school. The dads were at the school to attend a high school band competition when the suspect appeared. Working together, the men were able to quickly apprehend the gunman and save the day.

All of the Texas dads recalled how the take down of the gunman was a group effort. Police arrested the man, and he is now in jail.

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The dads from Pasadena, Texas, were attending the Texas Color Guard Circuit drumline competition at Pasadena Memorial High School when the incident took place, multiple accounts say.

Abram Trevino, a 13-year Air Force veteran; 13-year Army veteran Adam Curow; Efrain (Polo) Castillo, a 4-year Marine veteran; and 32-year Houston Police Sergeant Joe Sanchez, were the four courageous men who stepped in, Fox 26 Houston reported.

“As soon as everyone was screaming and yelling, gunshots fired, Joe and myself looked at each other and ran straight to the door. By the time we got inside, Polo and Abram were right behind us as a band dad team,” Curow told the news station.

According to officials, the suspect, 83-year-old Dennis Erwin Brandl Jr. of Spring, Texas, entered the school between 5 and 6 p.m. Brandl allegedly entered through a back entrance and fired his gun twice. One shot hit a door, with the other striking a 26-year-old victim in the shoulder. The victim is a percussion technical consultant for Angleton High School. The victim was airlifted to a hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

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“It felt like an eternity, but I think it was like a minute or so,” Trevino told KTRK.

“I grabbed his arms while Adam took the gun out. Then once the gun was out of his hand, we had no handcuffs so I took a my belt and made a handcuff,” Sanchez added.

Dennis Brandl mug shot
Pasadena Police Department

“I think anybody with our collective backgrounds would just do that, just out of nature,” Trevino said.

Before Brandl left home in Spring, he called police, several outlets reported. He allegedly told police he believed he and his wife were in danger. Apparently, he didn’t know the person he shot.

KHOU reported that as of Monday, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office accepted charges against Brandl. He faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Brandl was given an $80,000 bond. Currently, he is in custody at Harris County Jail.