Chris Mintz was shot five times on October 1, 2015 during the Umpqua Community College mass-shooting tragedy in Roseburg, Oregon. He sustained gunshot wounds in the legs, abdomen, hands, and shoulder.
The 30-year-old Army veteran and father to a 6-year-old boy was in his writing class when he heard gunshots that “sounded like firecrackers” coming from an adjoining room. Everybody in the classroom quickly flooded out of the room by Mintz held back to make sure no one remained.
He ran into the library imploring everyone present to relocate across campus so no one would unknowingly walk into the carnage.
Mintz then yelled into the parking lot for someone to get the police when a nearby classroom door opened and the man who killed a total nine people before taking his own life walked out, gun pointed toward Chris.
Mintz recently took to Facebook to say thank you to everyone who helped the families of the victims and everyone who supported him throughout his recovery. He also described in detail his first-hand encounter of the harrowing incident.
You can read the entire Facebook post here, but due to its length, I’ve just included the portion of his post that describes his dreadful experience with the shooter.
All of a sudden, the shooter opened the classroom door beside the door to my left, he leaned half of his torso out and started shooting as I turned toward him. He had a black shirt on, a shaved head, was tan and wearing glasses, he was so nonchalant through it all, like he was playing a video game and showed no emotion. The shots knocked me to the ground and felt like a truck hit me. He shot me again while I was on the ground and hit my finger, and said “that’s what you get for calling the cops” and I laid there, in a fetal position unable to move and responded “I didn’t call the cops man, they were already on the way.” He leaned further out of the classroom and tried to shoot my phone, I yelled “its my kids birthday man” he pointed the gun right at my face and then he retreated back into the class. I’m still confused at why he didn’t shoot me again. I tried to push myself back against the classroom door but I couldn’t move at all. My legs felt like ice, like they didn’t exist, until I tried to move. When I moved pain shot through me like a bomb going off. I couldn’t move, his shots knocked me down onto my right hip, I tried to use my right hand to push myself. I started to lose track of time but it felt like I laid there for days.
Mintz speaks about the moment after the gun fire stopped and police arrived, allowing people to safely exit classrooms.
A friend came out of the classroom and kneeled down beside me, traumatized and crying, I think she tried to pray with me, the only thing I could say was “its my son’s birthday” “please call my sons mom and tell her, I can’t pick him up from school today.”
Mintz concluded his recollection of that tragic day by describing how he was able to garner hope through a familiar face.
An EMT I am friends with was one of the first responders on the scene. I looked up and saw him walk up to the classroom door and said “hey buddy” he looked at me and responded “hey.” When I saw him, I KNEW WE WERE ALL GOING TO BE OK.
Chris’ GoFundMe page has amassed a whopping $810,000 in just 17 days, which he vows to share with families of the victims.
What a boss.
[h/t Elite Daily]