On a summer day in Washington, D.C., a man known for his warm smile and gentle nature tragically lost his life in an act of hate-fueled violence. Stephen Tyrone Johns, a 39-year-old male, was a dedicated Special Police Officer at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, a place he had protected for six years. On June 10, 2009, his commitment to safeguarding others would cost him his life.
Just before 1 p.m., as the museum teemed with visitors, including many schoolchildren,
88-year-old James Wenneker von Brunn approached the entrance. Johns, in a characteristic act of kindness, held the door open for the elderly man. In a horrific turn of events, von Brunn, a white supremacist, raised a. 22 caliber rifle and shot Johns. Despite being fatally wounded, Johns' sacrifice and the immediate response of his fellow officers prevented what could have been a much larger tragedy. Other guards quickly returned fire, wounding von Brunn and preventing him from harming anyone else inside the museum. Johns was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
The aftermath of the shooting sent shockwaves through the community and the nation. The museum was closed, and flags were lowered to half-staff in honor of the fallen officer. Johns was remembered by colleagues as a 'gentle giant' with an outgoing and jovial personality. His heroic actions were widely praised for saving countless lives that day.
The perpetrator, James von Brunn, had a long history of espousing racist and antisemitic views. He was charged with murder and firearms violations. However, before he could stand trial for his heinous crime, von Brunn died of natural causes in federal prison in January 2010. His death left some, including one of the officers who returned fire, feeling cheated of the opportunity to see justice served in a courtroom. In the wake of this tragedy, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum established the Stephen Tyrone Johns Summer Youth Leadership Program to honor his memory and continue the fight against the very hatred that led to his death.
