This is the hero Soldier that stopped an active shooter with his truck: MSG David Royer

On Wednesday, an active duty U.S. Army soldier brought an active shooter situation in Kansas to an abrupt end by ramming the suspect with his vehicle. By the time police officers had arrived on the scene, multiple vehicles had been hit by small arms fire, and one other Soldier had been wounded, but the suspect was safely pinned beneath a vehicle.

Now, the heroic soldier whose quick action likely saved a number of lives has been identified as Master Sgt. David Royer, a corrections noncommissioned officer with the 705th Military Police Battalion (Detention).

Royer was traveling eastbound when he arrived at the Centennial Bridge in Leavenworth, where he found stopped traffic. MSG Royer was talking to his fiancée on speakerphone when he noticed an armed man exiting another vehicle. Without hesitation, Royer instructed his wife to call 911 as the suspect opened fire at nearby vehicles.

"I assessed the situation very quickly, looked around and just took the only action possible that I felt I could take," Royer said. "I accelerated my truck as quickly as possible and struck the active shooter and pinned him underneath my truck."

Law enforcement arrived only minutes later, where they found Royer had already assessed that the shooter was no longer a threat, and he'd already begun providing first aid to another Soldier who had been driving in a different car, and had been wounded in the initial volley of small arms fire. According to police, the suspect was armed with a pistol and a semi-automatic rifle.

Royer, who has served in the Army for the past 15 years, received training on how to handle these sorts of situations throughout his career, including Military Police Special Reaction Team Training (Military SWAT Team), Air Assault School, and a Military Police Investigator Course. While many see Royer's action as heroic, he's quick to credit the training he's received in service for his handling of the situation.

"I was shocked that it was happening, but the adrenaline took over and with the military training that I've received, I took appropriate action and took out the threat as fast as possible," Royer said. "I didn't imagine (an active shooter situation) would happen in traffic, but it was always in the back of my mind because of how crazy things are in the world today.

Despite Royer's reluctance to take the credit for his actions, Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens made a point to address the bravery and skill Royer demonstrated on Wednesday.

"He won't call himself a hero, but I will," said Kitchens in a press conference. "He saved countless lives. … His actions were extraordinary, and he should be commended for that. We're grateful … on behalf of the entire Leavenworth community."

Despite the accolades of local law enforcement and his command, Royer believes many people would respond in the same way if faced with the same circumstances. The career Soldier's selflessness in the face of danger echoes similar sentiments offered by other heroic service members over the years, as he pointed out that while his life has value, he would be willing to sacrifice it for the safety and security of his fellow countrymen.

"My life is worth something, but there are also many other lives out there, too," he said, "so if I can sacrifice myself for the majority, that is my motive."

Col. Caroline Smith, 15th Military Police Brigade commander, also issued a statement honoring Royer's quick action, bravery, and level headedness.

"I think many people will sit back and wonder what would they do at a time of adversity like that and would they have the confidence and the courage to act when necessary," Smith said. "I think Master Sergeant Royer did exactly what needed to happen in order to neutralize the threat. He had a split second to decide and he made the decision and he made the right decision.
"He acted with courage and conviction. Because of that, I have no doubt that he saved many people's lives," she said. "We'll never know how many lives he saved, but I can say I'm super proud of the actions he took and who he is as an NCO and a soldier in the Army."

This article originally appeared on Sandboxx. Follow Sandboxx on Facebook.