An Edmonton father who tackled a masked man armed with pepper spray Tuesday at an educational campus says he didn’t have time to think, he just reacted.

Rainer Stratkotter, 52, was picking up his two teenage sons from the Argyll Centre at 6859 100 Ave. at about 1 p.m. when he saw two people, one in a mask with some kind of weapon, run “aggressively” through the front entrance and into the office.

“There was all this chaos and screaming,” said Stratkotter.

With previous stories of school shootings playing out in the back of his mind — such as in La Loche, Sask., where four people were killed and seven others were injured in a shooting Jan. 22 — Stratkotter leapt into action.

“I didn’t know what to expect, whether it was a gun or a knife,” said Stratkotter. “I’d rather have the bullets emptied in my body than a child’s.”

Stratkotter, who said he wrestled competitively in his youth, pinned the masked man to the ground with a wrestling move.

“He was just shrieking in a rage,” said Stratkotter, who said the man struggled beneath him for about two minutes before three staff members came to assist and Stratkotter dragged the man to his feet.

When police arrived, “they carried him out like a sack of potatoes,” said Stratkotter.

According to police, the incident stemmed from a dispute between two students over the affections of a teenage girl.

The attacker apparently chased the other male student into the office before attempting to pepper spray him, where he was subdued by Stratkotter.

Police said the man, who is older than 18, is in custody and faces charges of assault with a weapon, possession of a dangerous weapon and mischief.

Stratkotter, who said he was also a youth worker for eight years, was glad the incident ended without anyone being seriously hurt — though he said he did say his back was a bit sore — and hopes this will serve as a wake-up call for the young man involved.

“He has a big life ahead of him,” said Stratkotter, hoping he spends the rest of it more wisely.

The Argyll Centre is part of the Edmonton Public School district, supporting students who take lessons outside of the classroom. Students who learn using online platforms or are otherwise home-schooled can go to the campus for extra assistance.