Healey honors Good Samaritan from Memorial Drive shooting

Governor Maura Healey honored a Good Samaritan who helped stop the shooting on Memorial Drive in May.

On Friday, Healey presented Thomas Joseph “TJ” Swenson Jr. with the Madeline “Amy” Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery during the state’s annual commemoration of the Sept. 11 attacks, the Governor’s Office announced.

On May 11, Tyler Brown, 46, fired more than 50 rounds of ammunition on Memorial Drive, injuring two people. Swenson, a Marine Corps veteran, warned civilians of an ongoing shooting and used the firearm he was licensed to carry to help State Police stop the shooter, officials said.

“On this 25th anniversary, we remember the lives taken from us on September 11 and the extraordinary courage of people who stepped forward when others needed them most,” Governor Maura Healey said in a statement. “TJ Swenson showed that same kind of leadership on Memorial Drive. In a terrifying and rapidly unfolding situation, he put himself at risk and helped protect the people around him until first responders arrived.”

The Sweeney award is named for a flight attendant, wife, and mother of two from Acton, who was working on American Airlines Flight 11 when it was hijacked and flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. “In the final minutes of the flight, she contacted the airline’s ground services crew and relayed critical information about the hijackers and what was happening aboard the plane,” the announcement said.

“Twenty-five years after September 11, TJ reminds us that Amy’s legacy of selflessness and service continues in the actions of people who step forward when others need them most,” Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll said.