Washington ? The father of the man most seriously wounded in a shooting rampage at a shopping mall called his son a hero Tuesday for drawing a pistol and confronting the gunman before being shot.

Brendan “Dan” McKown, 38, was hit twice in the abdomen Sunday, when a gunman opened fire on crowds in the Tacoma Mall.

Roger McKown, 63, of Yelm, said his son has been licensed to carry a firearm for years.

Police spokesman Mark Fulghum said detectives don’t know if McKown simply brandished his handgun to show the gunman he was armed, or if he was preparing to fire the weapon.

Doctors at Tacoma General Hospital believe McKown may have suffered permanent paralysis, hospital spokesman Todd Kelley said.

Dominick Maldonado, 20, of Tacoma, pleaded not guilty Monday to assault, kidnapping and firearms charges for Sunday’s shooting.