NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB)- Wilson High School senior Trevor Zahno spends most nights leading his team on the football field.
“He always says yes coach, anything you need and always puts the team first,” said Head Coach Bill Atlas.
Atlas said that unselfish attitude is why he wasn’t surprised to learn his athletes is somewhat of a hero.
“I’m just glad I was there that night,” said Zahno.
Last Wednesday night, the 18 year old was at the Fashion Outlets in Niagara Falls with his mom and girlfriend, getting ready for homecoming. He said he saw a woman attacked.
“This guy was walking up from behind her and was trying to reach in her bag and steal some stuff,” said Zahno. “He was trying to get some stuff and she tried stopping him, she was really struggling.”
According to Zahno, she ended up on the ground. He took off after the suspect.
“Everyone’s got the fight or flight in them,” he said. “I got to the doors by Reebok and Adidas and that’s when it kicked in ‘oh my god this is happening, this is what’s going on’ but I wasn’t going to stop.”
Zahno said he and an off duty police officer and a member of the U.S. Army were able to subdue the suspect in the parking lot. They kept him there until police arrived.
Zahno admits the whole situation could’ve gone terribly wrong and they were lucky they didn’t get hurt. Still, he said, it’s important to help out.
“Whether it was fright, or I don’t know what I’m going to do, or I don’t think I’m good enough or I’m scared, you can’t think like that when situations like that are happening,” he said. “You got to be one to help people out.”
Coach Atlas wasn’t surprised to hear that either.
“When he sees danger, he doesn’t think about what would happen to him,” said Atlas. “He wanted to help whoever was in trouble and went right at it.”
Zahno said he may consider a career in law enforcement and it was an honor to help alongside an officer and service member.
