Lin Yu'an shook his head and forced his thoughts back. The nightmare of his former life threatened to replay itself, but this time he was ready. Before rushing into the supermarket he had slid into the pickup, opened the secret compartment under the seat, and taken out a fully loaded Glock 19. If fate gave him a second chance, he would never be reduced to stabbing with a pen again.
He pressed a calming hand to Arya's back and murmured in her ear where only she could hear, "Arya, don't be afraid. Stay here and don't move. Trust me." Though still stunned, Arya saw the resolve in his eyes and nodded. Her trust in him was absolute.
At the other end of the store the shooter in the dark hoodie trained his modified AR‑15 on a trembling young mother. Lin Yu'an did not hesitate. He drew the Glock, racked the slide to chamber a round, and crawled along the aisle behind the cover of the shelves toward the gunman.
A mother clutched her crying baby while the attacker sneered. "Alright, sweetheart. I'll give you a choice. Either you, or the little cutie in your arms, gets to live. I'll count to five. If you don't choose, you all go meet God." His voice was ragged, his muzzle swinging between mother and child.
The mother's face was pale and tear-streaked, but she answered with fierce clarity, "Please… please let my child live! Please!"
The shooter's grin twisted into something cruel. "How touching. Too bad I never had that." He laughed and aimed, finger easing on the trigger. "You two go to see God today."
At that instant a thunderous shout split the chaos. The shooter froze. About ten meters away a stranger had appeared beside the shelf.
Before Derek could react, Lin Yu'an moved. In an instant he fired.
Bang, bang, bang. The Glock unleashed fifteen rounds of 9mm in less than three seconds. The attacker's astonished, horrified expression froze forever. He had no time to turn or cry out. Blood spattered his chest and face as he collapsed onto the cold floor.
Lin Yu'an's chest heaved. His right hand trembled around the pistol. In those gunshots all the regret, self‑blame, and pain of his previous life poured out. When Derek fell, the heavy stone pressing on Lin Yu'an's heart shattered. Relief washed over him; for the first time in a long while the world regained color and sound.
"Arya!" He snapped back to reality. The sirens would be close. He could not hold the gun. He set it on a shelf and rushed to the diaper stacks. Arya was curled up but alive. When he helped her up she looked at him with wet eyes and absolute trust. "Honey… you-" she whispered through tears.
Lin Yu'an said nothing. He hugged her again and whispered, "It's okay, Arya. It's over."
The sharp wail of sirens approached and soon armed officers swarmed in. They secured the scene and swept their weapons. Seeing Derek motionless in blood, the AR‑15 beside him, and Lin Yu'an's Glock on the shelf, the officers locked their attention on Lin Yu'an.
"APD! Drop your weapon!" one officer barked. With confirmation from the blonde mother and other witnesses, they focused on him.
Lin Yu'an slowly raised his hands to show he was unarmed. "The gun's over there. He was the shooter. He tried to kill the woman and her baby." The mother, regaining her composure, cried out to the police, "It was him! He saved us! The man on the floor- he tried to kill me and my child!" Other frightened customers corroborated the account.
Officers surveyed the scene. The AR‑15 and spent casings near Derek, multiple eyewitness statements, and supermarket surveillance footage all pointed to the same conclusion. An older officer motioned for his team to lower their guns but remained cautious.
"Sir, cooperate with our investigation. What is your name?" the officer asked.
"Lin Yu'an."
"Is that Glock yours?" said the officer.
"Yes. I have a permit."
At the station Lin Yu'an recounted the events in detail. He explained he had been searching for his wife, happened to have a legal firearm, and had fired in defense of the people under attack. Texas law affords broad rights to defend oneself and others against an active, life‑threatening attacker.
Preliminary findings, witness statements, and the store's camera footage all supported Lin Yu'an's version. With a lawyer's help that night, he was released on bail.
Outside the station the night breeze was cool. Arya leaned against him, seeking the safety of his presence. She spoke softly, voice trembling with gratitude, "thank you." Lin Yu'an gripped her hand and gazed at her pale, shaken face, his heart aching with pity and relief.