James Young "Red" McDaniel, a 53-year-old Caucasian male from Daingerfield, Texas, died on June 22, 1980. He was a railroad shop foreman at the Texas & Northern Railroad and a member of the First Baptist Church of Daingerfield. McDaniel's death was the result of a tragic incident at his church.
On that fateful Sunday morning, a former high school math teacher named Alvin King III entered the First Baptist Church armed with multiple weapons. He began shooting at the congregation, killing five people and injuring ten others. As the chaos unfolded, McDaniel heroically intervened, attempting to subdue the shooter. During the struggle, McDaniel was shot multiple times and succumbed to his injuries.
Another man, Kenneth Truitt, also tried to help subdue the shooter and was fatally wounded in the process. The shooter, Alvin King III, was eventually overpowered and fled the church, only to shoot himself in the head later that day. King survived the self-inflicted gunshot wound but later committed suicide while awaiting trial for the murders.
The incident at the First Baptist Church of Daingerfield remains a somber memory for the community, and McDaniel's bravery is honored with a monument outside the church. His selfless actions saved many lives, and he is remembered as a hero who sacrificed his own life to protect others.
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