On a November afternoon in 1998, the city of Saint Joseph, Missouri, was shattered by an eruption of violence that claimed the life of one of its own. Bradley Thomas Arn, a 28-year-old White / Caucasian male and a dedicated police officer, responded to a call that would tragically be his last. Reports flooded the police department about a man clad in camouflage, armed with an assault rifle, randomly firing at people and property in the vicinity of 22nd and Calhoun streets.
Officer Arn, a
six-year veteran of the St. Joseph Police Department and a Gulf War veteran, was the first to arrive at the chaotic scene. Before he could even exit his patrol car, the gunman unleashed a barrage of bullets at his vehicle. One of those rounds pierced the car door, striking and fatally wounding the young officer.
The gunman, armed with an assault rifle, a shotgun, and a revolver, continued his rampage, wounding three civilians as other officers converged on the area. The terrifying ordeal came to an end in the backyard of a nearby church, where the suspect was cornered and fatally shot by another officer. The investigation later revealed that the gunman, who had a history of mental illness, had fired at least 164 rounds during the incident. No other suspects were involved, and the case was closed with the death of the lone gunman. In the line of duty, Officer Arn made the ultimate sacrifice, leaving behind a wife and twin daughters.
