Jeanne's Personality and Childhood

Jeanne's boss at New Life, minister John Bevere, says about Jeanne, "The word I would use to describe her is meek," adding that the Christian connotation of that word is "power under control. She's humble and very under control."

Bevere said what has constantly stood out to him is how gentle she is. How she reacted to the shooting was the best example of that, Bevere said. She used her training to try to get the gunman to stop, then used force when nothing else worked.

John Bevere must feel real good about hiring Jeanne to his ministry, because she saved his own son's life, as his son was attending services the day of the attack. "My son could very well have been one of the lives she saved," he said, "so I'm very grateful."

Jeanne grew up near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, one of seven children — six girls and one boy — born to Fred (a second-generation immigrant of Lebanese descent) and Kay Assam.

Her first cousin Matt Swenson recalled playing hide-and-seek and cowboys and Indians with her when they were kids. "I remember a picture of her with a cowboy hat, a six-shooter and cowboy boots. She was a very focused person. Of her sisters, she's the one I'd want being a security guard. She knew how to shoot guns when she was a kid."