LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – The town of Corydon, Indiana paid their respects for fallen volunteer firefighter Jacob McClanahan Saturday.
The 24-year-old was shot and killed while acting as a Good Samaritan to help a stranger, whose car appeared stuck.
Funeral services were held at Old Capitol United Methodist Church near Corydon at 11 a.m. Saturday before the procession.
According to his obituary, McClanahan was a truck driver for the Harrison County Highway Department, and a member of several organizations including Old Capitol United Methodist Church near Corydon, Ramsey Volunteer Fire Department, Harrison Township Volunteer Fire Department, among others.
“Everyone loved him, everyone that knew him,” a friend of the McClanahan’s, Paulinna Johansen, said. “He was willing to help anybody, anytime, whatever they needed.”
Around 9:30 p.m. Monday night, Indiana State police said McClanahan pulled over to help a Palmyra Police officer with stranded car that ran out of gas along Highway 135.
Within seconds of getting out of their cars, ISP said shots were fired and both McClanahan and Justin Moore, the driver of the stranded car, were killed.
”I have watched this body camera footage more times than I would like to,” Harrison Co Prosecutor Otto Schalk said. “Trying to make sense of a senseless killing.”
Those who knew McClanahan said he died doing what he did best, trying to help.
”He was always just asking if we needed anything,” Johansen said. “And if we were doing okay. Just casually talking. He just was a great person. Genuinely cared about everybody. He was doing what he thought was best and I hate what happened. I really hate what happened. I just don’t want people to think that they still can’t be a good person still though. He changed the community. He made it a better place here.”
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