Instead of soaking up the spotlight after becoming a national hero after thwarting the gunman at a school board meeting, Mike Jones is Christmas shopping for needy kids. INSIDE EDITION has the details.
INSIDE EDITION is learning more about the V for Vendetta school board shootout. It turns out new American hero Mike Jones engaged in an extraordinary conversation with the gunman in the midst of the crisis.
Jones: "Hey, how are you doing?"
Duke: "Well, I guess you're one of the cops. Come on in."
Jones: "I'm the school safety officer."
Duke: Well come on in."
Jones: "You got a real gun there?"
Duke: "Come on in."
Jones: "Nah, we're gonna wait a minute."
Duke: "He probably doesn't even have a gun."
The gunman was right. Jones had to go to his car to retrieve his gun and a bulletproof vest. When he came back, the shooting started.
Jones said, "As I walked toward him he wasn't moving and it was obvious from the wound and what was going on that he was dead."
It's a difficult time for Jones. As everybody knows by now, the big-hearted hero is known in Panama City, Florida as the "Salvage Santa." He fixes up old bicycles for needy kids at Christmas time.
INSIDE EDITION found him at Walmart's, buying presents for those kids as well-wishers thanked him and made donations to his Christmas fund...And Jones got some more great news for his worthy cause on the today show...
Meredith Vieira told Jones, "We contacted Schwinn, and they want to deliver five hundred bicycles and helmets to your cause!
Jones was ecstatic. "Five hundred bikes! Wow! That is so awesome!"
And Ginger Littleton, the school board member who so bravely swung her pocketbook at Clay Duke, is putting that pocketbook for sale on e-bay…with all profits going toward Jones' charity.
While Mike says he is thrilled with all the generosity toward the kids, he's got a problem. Where to put the stuff before Christmas. He's now asking people in the community to share warehouse space if they've got it.
