| For Immediate Release February 2nd, 2002 |
Contact: | Tori Richards (714) 347-8405 |
Two Men Posthumously Honored for Disarming Mass Murderer Edward Allaway During Shooting Spree
SANTA ANA — County and state elected officials have posthumously honored two men who fought to disarm mass murderer Edward Allaway during his deadly Cal State Fullerton shooting spree in 1976.
District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, state Assemblyman Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) and state Sen. Richard Ackerman (R-Irvine) will present certificates and proclamations to the surviving family members of librarians Donald Keran and Stephen Becker.
“If Mr. Keran and Mr. Becker hadn’t fought with Allaway during this horrible event, more people would have probably died,” Rackauckas said. “Mr. Becker gave the ultimate price — his life — and Mr. Keran was wounded as they bravely tried to stop this madman from gunning down everyone in the library.”
The two men have never been publicly acknowledged for their bravery. This event today is long overdue, Rackauckas said.
“When my deputy, Dan Wagner, told me that these two victims had never received any special kind of acknowledgement, we immediately wanted do something to honor their memory,” Rackauckas added.
Allaway killed six people and wounded one before Becker hit him over the head with a plate and tried to disarm him. During the struggle, Keran came to Becker’s aid and knocked a box containing 55 rounds of ammunition from Allaway’s hands. He fled with an empty rifle, but not before shooting both men. Becker died and Keran was wounded in the shoulder. Keran recovered from his injury, but has since died in 1986.