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Rob Johnson, left, reacts to a question from media during a interview before hi brother's funeral. Stephen B. Morton/PA

Hero's funeral for California shooting victim who shielded co-worker

The family of Shannon Johnson were handed a US flag at his funeral service today.

THOSE CLOSE TO Shannon Johnson knew him to be fearless — whether he was moving across the country to pursue love, rescuing stray animals in the path of a wildfire, or trying to shield a co-worker from gunfire during the last moments of his life.

The 45-year-old health inspector from Los Angeles received a hero’s funeral today in his home state of Georgia 10 days after he died during the massacre in San Bernardino, California.

A colleague wounded in the attack, Denise Peraza, said later that Johnson wrapped an arm tightly around her as bullets went flying and assured her: “I got you.”

Those would be his last words.

Inside Calvary Baptist Church in the rural city of Jesup, where Johnson was born about 2,300 miles from the auditorium in which he and 13 others died, a congressman gave his family a folded US flag while praising him as “an American hero.”

“Shannon’s fearless. He’s always been that way,” Rob Johnson, the slain man’s older brother, told reporters before the service.

“I’m sure that when he saw the young lady, he thought of his sister or his girlfriend or his former wife,” he said. “That’s just the kind of guy he was. He’s a man of action.”

Meanwhile, more funeral services were planned today in Southern California for two other victims — Tin Nguyen, 31, and Isaac Amanios, 60.

At Johnson’s memorial service, about 200 people filed into the church where roses, lilies and carnations sent by mourners decorated the pulpit amid strands of white lights and potted poinsettias set out for the Christmas season.

The Reverend Ed Bacon, a family relative, noted Johnson’s selfless final act echoed that of his father, who died while saving another man during an industrial accident at a Kentucky paper mill in 1978.

Johnson was just 8 years old, and his father’s death affected him deeply. As a boy, Bacon said, Johnson would sometimes slip away from home and spend the night at his dad’s grave.

“He learned from his father’s death that no one has greater love than this — to give your life for your friends,” Bacon said.

Johnson was sitting next to Peraza at a holiday luncheon for San Bernardino County environmental health employees on 2 December when a pair of attackers with assault rifles began spraying bullets. Peraza says she and Johnson sought cover beneath a table when he tried to shield her. Johnson was among 14 people killed in the attack. Peraza was shot in the back, but survived.

“I believe I am still here today because of this amazing man,” Peraza said in a statement soon after the killings.

Johnson grew up in the Macon area, where he played baseball and football in high school, Bacon said, and drove a Honda hatchback with a stereo so loud that people could hear him coming from blocks away.

As a young adult, his love of nature — and loud music — led Johnson to live in an isolated cabin in the Georgia woods. Then he fell in love and followed the woman to California, Johnson’s brother recalled, with no job and nowhere to live.

Johnson settled in Los Angeles. When wildfires raged in Southern California years ago, his brother said, Johnson rounded up stray pets in his pickup truck and took them to a church for shelter. Then he helped first responders dig a trench to protect the church.

Though he lived far away, Johnson kept his family as close to him as possible.

The walls of his Koreatown apartment were lined with framed photos, Bacon said. He also had tattoos for his mother, father and two ex-wives, who shared space on Johnson’s body along with inked portraits of the Virgin Mary and “Gone With the Wind” actress Vivien Leigh.

Johnson’s brother said that as relatives gathered in Georgia to say goodbye, their grandmother, Willie Dell Johnson, helped put the tragedy of his death into perspective.

“It’s just kind of what our family does,” she said. “We save people.”

– First published 21.00

Read: Wife’s role in California attack raises fear of ‘jihad brides’>

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    Mute Val Rossi
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:30 PM

    Bloody right in the middle of Xposé – how am I gonna know what to wear this season??

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    Mute Gunnarsahn
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    Sep 5th 2016, 9:50 PM

    having a gentleman’s evening with Lorraine Keane?

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    Mute Methinks
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    Sep 5th 2016, 9:51 PM

    Just stick to an lbd. Always in!

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    Mute Derek Lyster
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    Sep 5th 2016, 5:51 PM

    It has happened in other parts of the country too but isnt worthy of news until it happens in Dublin!!!!

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    Mute Daffy the Bear
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:00 PM

    Boggers with attitude, eh?

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    Mute Nollaig O'Connor
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:15 PM

    Let’s hope all these PEOPLE get power back soon.

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    Mute Tariq ibn Ziyad
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:22 PM

    Cows and sheep running through traffic lights Derek?

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    Mute Gary
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:46 PM

    Derek, proper order too.

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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Sep 5th 2016, 10:59 PM

    Culchie inferiority complex raring it’s ugly head again…

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    Mute Grim Reaper
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    Sep 5th 2016, 11:07 PM

    No toss in the dark for the jackeens!

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    Mute Grim Reaper
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    Sep 5th 2016, 5:55 PM

    Jackeens in the dark, what a disaster. Headline news for the duration of the blackout. Looting rampant as Dublin is left in darkness. Gurriers go on rampage in city streets. I could go on and on and on and on,!

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    Mute Gunnarsahn
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:23 PM

    you could go on and on, but please don’t

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:45 PM

    When the power goes out in Kerry they all fling GAA match programs and plastic bottles at each other.

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    Mute Grim Reaper
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:59 PM

    Hilarious can’t stop laughing my ribs are sore. Jackeens never see darkness, they will all huddle in one room in their homes tonight. I wonder will they bring in Charlie Bird for a bit of dramatic reporting? Laughing again!!!!!!!

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    Mute Lizzie Birdsworth
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    Sep 5th 2016, 7:19 PM

    Small minds are easily amused”

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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Sep 5th 2016, 11:00 PM

    Culchie inferiority complexity is funny :)

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Sep 6th 2016, 9:17 AM

    Culchies are funny.

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    Mute ck
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    Sep 5th 2016, 5:50 PM

    Ooh a back up plan….lads use your batteries on your laptops.

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:24 PM

    How are they accessing true internet though? Carrier pigeon?

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    Mute Brianto
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:25 PM

    hot spot your phone im guessing

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:29 PM

    I hope not! That’s against many of the phone companies terms and conditions. How do you sleep at night?

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    Mute Gunnarsahn
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    Sep 5th 2016, 9:54 PM

    on top of a pile of money with many beautiful ladies

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    Mute Petr Tarasov
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:46 PM

    I see Michelle has one of those scalp scrathers on her desk. Love them, but it’s only nice when someone does it for you and I’m not that cool with my colleagues.

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    Mute Jimmy Berg
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:29 PM

    I blame the gobermernent

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    Mute Just Some Guy
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    Sep 5th 2016, 5:50 PM

    first world problems

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    Mute Poole Hyde
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    Sep 5th 2016, 5:57 PM

    It’s a first world country… Well some of the time it is.

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    Mute Grim Reaper
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    Sep 5th 2016, 8:39 PM

    Jackeens grow houses in danger of losing stock.

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    Mute David Dickenson
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    Sep 5th 2016, 5:52 PM

    Newmarket and Bedford Row? I wonder where they are in Dublin, I’ll just check the map out provided by thejournal with pointers on it.

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    Mute David Dickenson
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    Sep 5th 2016, 5:54 PM

    Hang on, new map.

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    Mute Mary O Sullivan
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    Sep 5th 2016, 6:45 PM

    It’s only the south side so… meh

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    Mute Janet Jan Coyle
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    Sep 5th 2016, 7:01 PM

    Power Cut in Rathmines this morning for about a half an hour seems some guy working in a Building that’s being Refurbished cut a wrong wire and knocked out half the Street

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    Mute Grim Reaper
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    Sep 5th 2016, 7:04 PM

    Unpaid bills causes blackout!

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Sep 5th 2016, 7:30 PM

    So does copious amounts of alcohol

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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Sep 5th 2016, 11:02 PM

    You culchies used to have a sense of humour. Must. Try. Harder :)

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    Mute Grim Reaper
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    Sep 5th 2016, 11:05 PM

    F that!

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