Thank God for people like Kennet Santana:
Hero teacher 'didn't have time to think'Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
(08-25) 13:22 PDT SAN MATEO --
In the moments after a young man detonated two pipe bombs at Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, English language development teacher Kennet Santana didn't have time to think about what he should do.
Instinctively, as students crouched for cover in their classrooms, Santana, 34, moved toward the explosions. He was confronted with the sight of the youth, wearing a tactical vest with what turned out to be eight other pipe bombs.
The teacher didn't know the devices were bombs. He also didn't know that the suspect, identified as a 17-year-old former student at Hillsdale, was armed with a chainsaw and a sword with a 2-foot blade.
All Santana knew was that this boy was a threat - and that he had to stop him. Without hesitation, Santana tackled the boy shortly after 8 a.m. Monday and yelled at other teachers to call for help. Principal Jeff Gilbert, counselor Ed Canda and Santana held the teenager down until police arrived.
Now, the campus community and authorities are crediting Santana with helping to avert what could have been a disaster: A law-enforcement source said the boy, whose name has not been released because of his age, nursed a grudge against some teachers and had planned to detonate all 10 pipe bombs before attacking students with the chain saw and the sword as they fled.
No one was hurt in the attack, which began just as Santana arrived at school and was heading to the office.
"It just happened so fast. He didn't even think about it," said his wife, Angelique Vega-Santana, 35.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/25/BASE19DFN6.DTL