‘Did what I needed to do’: 2 Missourians honored for heroism in stopping funeral gunfight

Jeff Hilke and Scott E. Duncun, both Missouri residents, don’t consider themselves heroes.

But after the two men sprang into action, saving lives before a funeral at a chapel in Eldon on April 21, 2021, they’re being recognized for their acts of heroism.

“Everyone keeps calling me a hero,” Hilke said. “ I just don’t consider myself a hero. I just did what I needed to do that day to keep everybody safe, just as I was trained to do... there’s people that do a lot greater things in this world than what I did.”

Hilke, of Jefferson City, and Duncan, of Kansas City, are both recipients of the Carnegie award, presented by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. The award is given to civilians in Canada and the United States for risking death or serious injury in an attempt to save others. It’s been given to 10,422 people since it began in 1904.

Duncan, who stepped in to help Hilke, didn’t expect to also be awarded, saying “to me, the hero of this whole thing was Jeff.”

“If he had not have been there and engaged when he did, more of my family may have been dead. I wouldn’t have been able to control my brother on my own.”

‘Instincts took over’

Hilke, a funeral director at Hedges, Scott, Millard Funeral Home, was not supposed to be at work that day. But he was handling paperwork with the wife of the deceased, Susan Duncan, and the deceased’s daughter when he heard a co-worker scream his name.

That’s when he saw a man with a gun. Brad Duncan, the son of the deceased, allegedly entered the service armed, and tried to force his ex-wife outside.

“If I just stopped to think, I don’t know what would’ve happened,” Hilke said. “I just kept running and didn’t stop until I got to him and grabbed the gun. Instincts took over.”

Hilke was a reserve deputy with the Cole County Sheriff’s Office, where he’d served for 28 years. He said this was the most tense situation he had ever been involved in, and credited his ability to able to handle that heated moment to his law enforcement training.

The suspect had assured his family he wouldn’t show up that day for the service. He had been somewhat estranged from his mother for the previous six or seven years. His ex-wife, however, was at the ceremony with their daughters.

“He walked through the back door of the chapel and started down the front aisle,” Susan Duncan, his mother, said. “He walked over and grabbed a hold of (his ex-wife) and she said let go of me, and all at once I saw a gun in his hand.”

Hilke ran to the front of the chapel and slammed the armed man up against the wall, trying to keep the gun pointed away from everyone.

Scott E. Duncan, Brad’s brother, saw Hilke was losing his leverage, as Brad Duncan started to force the weapon down from the ceiling, endangering the entire family. That’s when Scott E. Duncan stepped in and the three struggled for control while the others, including the ex-wife, fled the building.

“I was scared to death, “ Susan Duncan said. “There’s no excuse for what Brad did. I’m just glad nobody was (seriously) hurt.”

Scott E. Duncan left his hand between the hammer and the pin on the .45 to keep it from firing. The three fell over, and knocked the table with the ashes and and all the photos set up for the funeral.

Hilke was at the bottom of the pile, gasping for air when the gun fired. The bullet hit the floor and ricocheted up into the ceiling. The magazine fell out, and Brad Duncan reached for a spare magazine in his pocket to reload, but Scott E. Duncan held his arm down.

“It seemed like it took forever, but I’m sure it was only a couple minutes, but when you’re in a gun fight like that, it seems like forever,” Hilke said.

Officials arrived and were able to gain control over the suspect, who was arrested. Hilke suffered a broken sternum and bruised ribs from the struggle. As the chaos dissipated, the smell of pepper spray in the chapel still lingered, so the ceremony was moved into the foyer.

Brad Duncan was found guilty in 2023 of first degree domestic assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon, and was sentenced to 34 years in prison.

And now Jeff Hilke and Scott E. Duncan, the two men whose quick actions ensured no one died that day, are learning to live with the recognition that comes with being honored as heroes.