Jackson Swallen, who is Lexis King’s nephew and the grandson of the late pro wrestling legend, Brian Pillman, is a hero.
The 15-year-old high school student who goes by the name Boom is being honored by The Uvalde Foundation For Kids in the form of receiving their National Student Hero Award for recently helping to stop a planned mass causality event at Mariemont High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Regarding the case, a 14-year-old student has been charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated murder. The student is also said to have conspired with an adult from outside of Ohio, believed to be anywhere from 22 to 24 years of age.
The case is being referred to by local authorities as a “credible plot to harm students and staff,” and included the aforementioned student reportedly having access to a weapon in their home, along with a “kill list” consisting of eight students and one teacher at the school.
After learning of the plan, Swallen informed his father, despite being threatened by the student not to tell anyone, who then quickly alerted local authorities.
“The kid had the firearms and had a very elaborate plan and had every intention of carrying out that plan,” said Swallen’s father, Zach Swallen. “My son, he doesn’t lie. He’s very literal, I could tell by his tone. And it was told to my son that if he disclosed anything about the plan to anybody, he would be shot and killed. But my son literally told me he didn’t care if he got killed as long as he could protect his classmates.”
Lexis King took to social media on Monday, writing how proud he is of his nephew in a post shared via X.
“This is my nephew Jackson Swallen,” he wrote as the caption to a photo of his nephew as a reply to a post on X from local news station WCPO 9 out of Cincinnati. “As you can probably tell he’s got the genes of his late grandfather ‘Flyin” Brian Pillman! 15 years old and already a national hero, we are all so proud of him!!!”
A woman named Amy Carlier, who has a daughter who attends the school, spoke with WCPO 9 about how grateful she is for what Swallen did.
“My daughter texted me that two people that I know and love dearly were on that list,” Carlier said. “I feel very grateful for the swift action of our school system, of the student who told his dad, the dad taking it seriously and the police to take action. That’s why our kids are alive and safe today.”
The founder of the aforementioned Uvalde Foundation For Kids, also praised the actions of Swallen and his father.
“This student who helped extinguish a possible threat to fellow students, represents the reality of how the climate of violence plaguing our nations schools and threatening student lives can come to an end,” he said. “Not through gun control or more safety planning meetings; but rather through alert, caring students such as this young man who refuse to stand by when a potential threat stands against their friends.”
This is my nephew Jackson Swallen. As you can probably tell he’s got the genes of his late grandfather Flyin Brian Pillman! 15 years old and already a national hero, we are all so proud of him!!! ❤️ https://t.co/6OimLZfG08
— King (@LexisKingWWE) February 12, 2024
