LAS VEGAS (WSVN) — A concertgoer is credited with saving dozens of people during the mass shooting in Las Vegas, risking his life to help others.
Fox 11 reports that 30-year-old Jonathan Smith was in town from Los Angeles for the concert, part of his brother’s birthday celebration. He and his family were close to the stage during Jason Aldean’s performance when shots rang out.
“All chaos broke loose…it was just constant firing and it sounded like it was getting closer and closer.” Smith told the station.
He told the Washington Post that he saw people frozen in place, not knowing what to do. That’s when he jumped into action, shouting, “Active shooter, active shooter, let’s go! We have to run.”
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Smith started grabbing people, ushering them toward cars behind which they could hide. When he noticed several young girls who weren’t fully protected, he stood up to move them to a safe position. That’s when a bullet struck him in the neck.
“It was like a heavy punch to my arm. At that point my whole body spun around…I hit the gravel.” Smith told Fox 11.
He says an off-duty police officer from San Diego saved his life by stopping the bleeding and getting him to a hospital. A reporter snapped a photo of Smith, describing how he heroically risked his own life to help save others.
Jonathan Smith, 30, saved ~30 people last night before he was shot in the neck. He might live w/the bullet for rest of his life. #vegasstrip pic.twitter.com/6hLujXWe51
— Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) October 2, 2017
But Smith says he wasn’t a hero at all.
“I did what any human would do in that situation right there… was it smart to put my life on the line? Would I do it again?” he said. “I definitely would.”
He says he is in constant pain, and doctors told him it was too dangerous to remove the bullet. But Smith says he knows he was one of the lucky ones.
“A lot of people lost their lives for no reason and it sucks,” he said tearfully.
Smith’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover his medical expenses.
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