Meet the neighbor who rushed to help a gunman at Manlius gas station. 'It was just instinct'

Manlius, NY – Robert Sherlock was at his home in Manlius Monday night when he thought he heard a flash of lightning.

Less than 30 seconds later, he received a call from his colleague at a Sunoco gas station next door.

It wasn't thunder that he heard. His colleague told him it was a gunshot and she could hear screams.

She told Sherlock she was going to lock up the shop. Then he hurried to the gas station, which was less than 150 yards away.

“It was just instinct,” he said.

Sherlock spoke to Syracuse.com about how he came to the rescue in a turbulent situation.

As he approached the store, Sherlock said, he passed Richard J. Bradley, who was standing next to his SUV, staring into the woods.

“I didn't think it was him (with the gun),” Sherlock said. “So I just said, 'Hey, how are you?'”

Bradley didn't answer, so Sherlock approached him, thinking something was wrong.

As he got closer, he noticed Bradley shaking and had a confused look on his face, he said. Then Sherlock noticed the rifle lying on the ground next to Bradley.

When Sherlock saw the gun and Bradley's expression, the situation became clearer to him.

“I felt terrible. I knew he was in a bad, bad place,” he said. “I didn't feel threatened by him… He wasn't there to shoot other people.”

Sherlock said he grabbed Bradley's shoulder, kicked the gun away, and made sure to stand between him and the rifle. Sherlock said he then said to Bradley, “It's going to be OK. Is there anything I can do for you? An ambulance is on the way.”

While Sherlock was holding Bradley and waiting for police, Bradley suddenly tried to remove a wiper blade from the car, Sherlock said. Sherlock said he thought Bradley might try to hurt himself or use it as a weapon.

Sherlock said he immediately put his arms around Bradley and pulled him away from the SUV.

They remained on the ground until a few minutes later the police arrived and handcuffed Bradley.

Before Sherlock reached the gas station, Manlius police say Bradley, 35, of East Syracuse, fired four shots from his BMW with the AR-15 rifle before it malfunctioned.

Two live cartridges were later found in the weapon's chamber, police said in a criminal complaint.

The shots were fired from the rear of the SUV and hit the ground, police said. Sherlock said the SUV was facing the street and away from the store, toward 7525 Kirkville Road.

No one was injured and no property damage was reported. One person was inside the store and another was nearby in the parking lot, police said in court documents.

According to police, Bradley could not explain why he stopped at the gas station or why he fired the gun. He was under the influence of drugs at the time of the shooting.

Bradley was arrested Tuesday morning after being treated at a hospital. He is being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center Jail. His bail was set at $200,000 cash or $500,000 surety bond.

Editor Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Do you have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach him at [email protected].