Wyden, Merkley honor Parkrose coach for heroism

Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., this week honored Keanon Lowe with Congressional Record statements praising the Parkrose High School coach and security guard for his heroism last week during a gun scare at the northeast Portland school.

The senators noted that Lowe, a former University of Oregon football player, likely saved lives of students, teachers and administrators when he spotted an armed student in a classroom, tackled the student, wrestled away the gun, and held the student until police arrived.

And they welcomed his statement after the Friday’s incident that he wants to “be a part of the solution to school gun violence.”

“All Ducks fans know Mr. Lowe as a champion on the field,” Wyden wrote in his Congressional Record statement. “And now all of Oregon, and the country, know him as a hero off the field.

“Gun violence in schools has essentially created a ‘lockdown generation’ of students whose happy memories of high school dances, games, plays and other activities jostle alongside memories of lockdown drills and, in far too many instances, violent gunmen,” Wyden wrote. “I am grateful that Mr. Lowe prevented the worst on May 17, 2019, and welcome his commitment to be a teammate in reducing the chances of gun tragedies in every school in America.”

“Already this year, our nation has watched children die at the hands of their armed classmates, including two young men who sacrificed their lives to stop gunmen and save their fellow students,” Merkley wrote in his Congressional Record statement. “To prevent such a tragedy, Mr. Lowe, in a tremendous act of courage, tackled the armed student and wrestled away the gun before anyone could be injured.

“Mr. Lowe put his life on the line to protect our students,” Merkley wrote. “He has not only guided students on the field, but now he has also protected them in the classroom. He will no doubt be remembered by those students for the rest of their lives as an example of selflessness and courage.”

A copy of Wyden’s Congressional Record statement is here. A copy of Merkley’s Congressional Record statement is here.