Allan Fonseca saves at Oregon Mall

Allan Fonseca an employee in a mall at Clackamas Town Center malll in Oregon saved lives on Decemeber 12, 2012.  Fonseca was familiar with his place of employment and used it for good. After the mall was taken over by a gun man, he was waiting on his mother Jocelyn Lay. Fonseca employed at Lancome in Macy's, hide his mother behind the counter.

"We both just looked at each other and knew that this was a serious situation and it was a gunman and we both just dove down below the Lancome counter there for a little protection," Lay told "Good Morning America." "And the gunfire just kept going off."

Lay began praying for that the Lord protect her and the others that were in danger in the mall. She gave credit to her son for being an employee and knowing exactly how to navigate the situation. She says he is her hero.

"He said that we needed to evacuate, and he took me by the hand and took me down the escalator and out to safety," she said.

After securing his mother in safety Fonseca said, "I'm going to go back and help other people."

Since Fonseca was familiar with the mall he felt that he was able to safely help get the other shoppers out of the mall to avoid the gunfire.

"I felt that if I knew how to get out of the mall and out to safety then I should share that knowledge with everyone else, like the shoppers that don't come here regularly and don't know all of the exits," he said. "So I decided to go back up because I wanted to see if there was anybody in panic or didn't know where to do."

After getting the shoppers evacuated from the mall he than we to the floor where the gunman was, to look for his coworkers that were located on the "shooting floor." Lay says she's not sure she would have done if her son hadn't been there to get her out of harm's way."

I probably just would have stayed there and probably would have had a little more fear because it's one of those situations where you've seen in previous shootings, the gunman keep shooting and keep looking for different people," she said. "I would have huddled there and hoped and prayed."


We honor Allan Fonseca for his true bravery in this time of danger. I declare that his strength came from the Lord. He was protected to help save many lives, if it had not been for him more lives would have been in danger.

Today on Heroic Thursday we honor Allan for his heart and his true bravery.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
-I Corinthians 16:13


@chrisburkmenn

story credit Good Morning America 2012