This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Barrett "Bear" Dodds doesn't have much tolerance for mean people.

Never has.

So when Bear realized a gunman was loose in Trolley Square, his testosterone kicked in.

Bear is the owner of the Brass Key Antique store, located on the south side of the mall's upper level. His acts helped keep dozens out of harm's way, likely distracted the shooter and aided the off-duty officer who was first on the scene.

On Monday night, Bear left his store in the hands of his grandpa Wally Dodds while he went across the floor to Haroon's clothing store. He hoped to pick up a Valentine's Day present for his girlfriend.

As he stood at the counter, he heard a pop, pop.

"That was gunshots," he said to the clerk.

Bear, 29, ran out of Haroon's and looked into the atrium below.

He saw a young man - Sulejman Talovic - standing outside the Cabin Fever gift store, shooting through its window.

In the same instant, he saw his grandfather, lured out of the Brass Key by the odd sounds, approach the south railing. Wally Dodds was moving into the direct sight of the shooter.

In the booming voice he used as a bouncer at various Salt Lake City clubs, Bear issued an order: "Grandpa, get back in and lock the door."

Wally moved back and began shepherding 15 or so people who had amassed in the hallway into the Brass Key. The shoppers took cover among the antiques, some crying, most fearfully quiet.

Bear's shouted command drew the attention of Talovic, who turned and looked up at him. By now, the commotion had drawn other shopkeepers along the east hallway to their doors.

Across the way, Bear saw about 20 people running in his direction. He put his hand up and yelled that the gunman was below. "They got the point," he said.

Bear then moved along the east hallway stores - Vitamin World, John Robert Powers, Ypsilon - telling storeowners to lock their doors. The sounds of Talovic's rampage continued.

"It was shot after shot after shot the whole time," Bear said.

He grabbed a tall, black metal stool from the Liken movie kiosk at the end of the east hallway and began making his way back to the atrium. As he reached The Spectacle, the last store on the left, Bear had a clear view of Cabin Fever.

"I could see the bodies," he said, among them what appeared to be an older man. "That's when you realize this has gone too far. It's for real."

His thoughts flashed on his grandpa, and "I lost my temper."

Bear began weaving in and out of sight of Talovic. His mind raced through the options.

"I could see him reaching in his pocket, reloading and reloading," said Bear, who had no idea how long it might take for police to intervene.

Bear said he tried to count shots so he could tell when Talovic would need to reload, but the teen never emptied his shotgun. He watched with disbelief as Talovic put the weapon to his shoulder and took aim, shooting victims once, twice or more.

Bear figured he could throw the stool, but knew it was not heavy enough to do anything but distract the teen. He calculated the odds of landing on him if he jumped.

From a window in the Brass Key, Wally Dodds could see Bear.

"I thought, 'Oh no.' I knew he wasn't going to run, wasn't going to hide, he wasn't going anywhere," Wally said. "He was going after the guy with a stool."

Talovic began backing up toward the Pottery Barn Kids store and Bear moved over to Haroon's to keep him in view. He spotted Ogden police officer Ken Hammond at the atrium's south end, moving toward Talovic.

"The officer said something like, 'I've only got six bullets, I can't have a long shoot-out,' " Bear said, "which scared me to death because I knew that guy had a whole lot of bullets."

Bear shouted that he could no longer see Talovic and that he had to be in Pottery Barn Kids store directly below him. About then, Hammond held his badge up and identified himself to arriving Salt Lake City police.

Bear said he put the stool down, realizing it might be mistaken for a weapon by new cops on the scene. He crouched down and moved closer to Haroon's as an officer shouted, "Police, drop your weapon."

There was a shotgun blast and then a volley of shots. Police officers swarmed the mall, telling people to "go, go, go."

"I am so grateful that Ogden police officer came because I might have lost him," Wally said. "It's not in [Bear's] nature to back down. He knew there was a good chance he would get shot but he couldn't stop."

When the mall reopened on Wednesday, a steady stream of shopowners, mall patrons and customers made their way to the Brass Key to give Bear a hug.

A woman and her young son came by Thursday to give Bear flowers and a card, which read in part: "You are a hero without a gun."

So did Randy Kennard, a long-time family friend and owner of Kennard Antiques, who wanted to shake his hand.

"That's Bear," he said.