When disaster strikes, John Johannessen was always one to take immediate action. When he came upon a fiery crash on Pacific Coast Highway last April, he hopped out of his car and ran to one vehicle engulfed in smoke and wrenched open the door, pulling the driver to safety.
He then turned to the other car, flames shooting out, and pulled the other driver out. Although that driver eventually died of his injuries, Scott Thornton of Oxnard can thank Johannessen for a second lease on life.
General contractor Johannessen had a similarly decisive reaction
back in 1997 when his 12-year-old daughter, Shanelle, was
accidentally shot and nearly killed by a friend who was playing with
a large-caliber gun.
He quickly established Stop Our Shootings, a nonprofit organization aiming to promote gun safety and ensure that no parent has to endure the terror he felt ever again.
He has developed programs to take to schools, speaking directly with students about the danger of firearms and the need to treat them with respect. After the disasters in Connecticut and Colorado last year, he is finding a willing audience.
“I go into these schools and ask a lot of questions about guns in these kids’ lives,” Johannessen said. “They’re very eager to talk about it.”
He has worked with legislators across California to strengthen gun regulations, and was recently asked by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein to have Stop Our Shootings endorse her ban of assault weapons.
Former City of Malibu Planning Commissioner Ed Gillespie said in his Dolphin Award nomination of Johannessen, “These contributions and many more make John a true asset to our community.”
To Johannesssen, who also serves on the board of the Malibu Chamber of Commerce, his lauded actions were normal.
“What else are you going to do,” he asked. “I didn’t think twice when I saw those cars on fire. I just acted.”