Here is the link to the story on CNN dot com

These are the words probably keeping the story alive: "AR 15-style rifle".

Don't know about Smerconish, but the person in the story calling the bystander a hero is his own lawyer. They are NOT the words of the four CNN reporters.

CNN reiterates the problem it and the NYT find with legally armed bystanders:

"Having armed people at the scene who are not law enforcement members can create confusion and carry dire risks, according to a data analysis published by The New York Times."

Underneath this article are three Uvalde articles and this

I mentioned Buffalo because it was mentioned on TV last night.