Brandon Tsay was preparing to eat lunch at home when he received a call from the White House. Would he be able to communicate with the United States President?
“I responded along the lines of “No, we’re about to dine.” Then I realized that it was the president.” The 26-year-old explained to the BBC. There, my brain essentially short-circuited.
The president’s call was warranted. Mr. Tsay has won appreciation from his community and the news for disarming the gunman who massacred eleven people and injured numerous more at a California dance hall celebrating the Lunar New Year on January 21.
Mr. Tsay’s split-second choice propelled the unassuming programmer to national hero status.
Joe Biden congratulated Mr. Tsay from the other end of the telephone for “taking such extraordinary action in the face of peril.” Mr. Tsay was then invited to Washington, D.C.
As a guest of First Lady Jill Biden, Mr. Tsay attended President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Annually delivered before the entire US Congress, the speech is primarily political rhetoric intended to promote the president’s agenda.
Thanks to the president’s invitations, however, the occasion is capable of evoking genuine moments of emotion.
They give abstract policy proposals a human face, with the aim that their personal tales will inspire lawmakers to act on topics such as healthcare, gun safety, and education. Mr. Biden highlighted Mr. Tsay’s tale on Tuesday.
The president said,
“Two weeks ago, during Lunar New Year celebrations, he heard the studio’s front door close and saw a man waving a gun at him.” “He believed he was about to die, but then he remembered the people inside.”
Mr. Biden remarked,
“He saved lives” as Congress awarded Mr. Tsay a standing ovation. It is time for us to do the same. Then, Mr. Biden called for tighter gun safety laws.
Mr. Tsay previously told the BBC that he wanted his presence to convey a positive message to his predominantly Asian-American town of Monterey Park.
Mr. Tsay stated,
“I want the [Asian American and Pacific Islander] community to remain optimistic, and I believe that sending me to the State of the Union address might help bring attention to the individuals in our community.”
In addition, he said,
“many friends back home advised me to wave at the camera for them.”
A life flipped on its head
Mr. Tsay’s appearance on State of the Union was the culmination of two weird and disorienting weeks in which he moved from being a nameless young man who sold tickets at his family’s dancing studio to a national figure.
He says,
“I’m still the same guy; I’m still Brandon.” However, his environment has altered.
He acknowledges that he is also exhausted.
Mr. Tsay has repeatedly told the New York Times, Good Morning America, CNN, and numerous other media sources the story of how he stopped the Monterey Park gunman.
After firing at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, the 72-year-old suspect Huu Can Tran headed to the Tsay family-owned Lai Lai Ballroom in adjacent Alhambra.
Mr. Tsay was the first person to face the gunman when he entered the building, and he decided swiftly to disarm him. Later security camera footage revealed that Mr. Tsay seized control of the firearm only after a lengthy fight. He was praised by authorities for preventing a second tragedy.
In the days following the shooting, Mr. Tsay’s family members arranged interviews and managed the deluge of media demands.
He stated that he did not even have time to tell his family what had occurred to him during the chaos. They insisted he rests, so he stopped conducting interviews.
However, he was unable to avoid the spotlight for long. Last week, the city of Alhambra honored him with a special Lunar New Year event.
Representative Judy Chu, who represents Monterey Park in Congress, told the gathering,
“Without Brandon Tsay, the devastation would have been much worse.”
The California governor visited his home and sat on his couch. He then received a phone call from the president.
The next thing he knew, he was on a plane to Washington with his father, where he spent Monday viewing the monuments. By Tuesday evening, he was seated alongside Bono, the lead singer of U2, and the first lady of the United States.
Mr. Tsay is attempting to use his newly acquired focus for a higher cause.
“As a person, I feel closer to the community,” he remarked.
“I now believe that our family is a vital part of our society and the Asian community in the Monterey Park area. We feel like we’re more bonded, now.”
After receiving financial support from well-wishers, he joined the Asian Pacific Community Fund to raise funds in his honor for community service.
Using money his family received after the shooting, he contributed $2,500 (£2,000) to the Brandon Tsay Hero Fund with the goal of multiplying this amount by a large factor.
Mr. Tsay stated,
“I feel like people have been calling me a hero, and I believe there is a hero in all of us.”
“I wish to demonstrate that you possess inner bravery and courage that you may not even be aware of.”
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