Student who helped stop Seattle shooter is flooded with wedding gifts

Jon Meis became an instant icon of courage on Thursday when he and fellow students helped subdue a gunman who was on a rampage inside Seattle Pacific University.

It turns out that the 22-year-old is also planning to get married. His newfound fans discovered the student’s wedding registry and have been buying up presents for Meis and his future wife.

"There are a number of heroes in this. The people around (the gunman) stepped up," Assistant Police Chief Paul McDonagh said Thursday. "But for the great response by the people of Seattle Pacific, this incident might have been much more tragic."

Meis, an electrical engineering student on the Dean’s list, was not physically harmed in the altercation with the gunman. Meis was carrying pepper spray at the time of the incident, which he used to help subdue suspected gunman Aaron R. Ybarra.

Local affiliate KIRO 7 heard about the registry and posted about it on their Facebook page, which includes some great testimonials from individuals who have purchased items on the registry. Some highlights:

"‪Mike Lasnier: I just bought this guy and his wife a blender! It's as close as I can get to buying him a beer!”

"‪Chris Gossard: We're happy to have bought this hero and his bride-to-be some kitchen items. It's the least we can do.”

"‪Stacy McMartin: Wow - his entire Crate & Barrel registry has been totally cleaned out. That's crazy!! He deserves it."

Jon and his fiancé Kaylie have their wedding date set for June 21. For the registry, they’ve selected two stores – Crate & Barrel and Target. There’s still time if you feel inclined to pick up a polyester dish drying mat or a trio of stainless steel whisks from their Target page. But the growing list of generous strangers has already managed to pluck up every gift off the Crate & Barrel page.

Follow Eric Pfeiffer on Twitter (@ericpfeiffer)