- Text
13-year-old Aurora survivor tried to help others
-
play Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble -
play Storm spotter: Oklahoma tornado "a nightmare" -
play Survivors pulled from Okla. school hit by tornado -
play Oklahoma tornado survivor: "Everything is gone" -
play At least 51 dead after tornado strikes Oklahoma City suburb -
play 5/20: Deadly tornado strikes Okla.; Fmr. Cincinnati IRS office ... -
play Oklahoma tornado leaves residents in state of shock -
play 5/19: Surviving the Midwest twisters; How a $4.8 ... -
play Oklahoma City manager: Tornado created "significant damage" -
play Severe weather: Where is the storm headed? -
play Okla. governor on tornado's destruction -
play The power of a uniquely American song
(CBS News) As the gunman fired into the darkened theater, one of the youngest survivors tried to save the youngest victims.
At a church in Aurora Sunday, pastor Michael Walker told a story of heroism, how a 13-year-old struggled to save the life of 6-year-old Veronica Moser-Sullivan, the youngest person to die.
Pastor Michael Walker: "If you could imagine a 13-year-old giving CPR to a 6-year-old who is dying. It's a tragedy."
That 13-year-old is Kaylan.
"I'm still in shock. I don't think that it's hit me yet what I've been through," Kaylan said.
Kaylan's mother, Heather, asked us not to use their last name. They want privacy to recover, but agreed to share Kaylan's story.
"She was trying everything she could to save another human being," Heather said.
Shooting suspect's gun range membership rejected
University: Colo. shooting suspect had federal grant
Aurora shooting suspect appointed public defender
Kaylan went to the midnight movie with four others, family and friends, including 6-year-old Veronica and Veronica's mother. Then the shooting started.
"It was terrifying, because I couldn't see...I couldn't see the person who had done it," Kaylan said.
"She went to a simple movie with five people and, and three of them got shot," Heather said.
When the shooting stopped, Kaylan tried to give Veronica CPR, but a wounded adult had fallen on top of the 6-year-old.
"I was asking the one on top of the one I was trying to help but they kept saying they couldn't, they were numb and I kept begging please try please because we have to get out of here," Kaylan said.
She kept struggling until the police arrived.
"I love that she thought of somebody else besides herself. That is amazing to me," Heather said.
"It's horrifying picturing in my head what I saw that night," Kaylan said.
Heather says Kaylan didn't get a scratch on her head, "but mentally, she's gonna be dealing with this for a really long time."
Kaylan volunteers to help the homeless. She once shaved off her hair for a cancer drive.
Now Kaylan will get some help. She started grief counseling Sunday.
- Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble
- Storm spotter: Oklahoma tornado "a nightmare"
- Survivors pulled from Okla. school hit by tornado
- Oklahoma tornado survivor: "Everything is gone"
- At least 51 dead after tornado strikes Oklahoma City suburb
- 5/20: Deadly tornado strikes Okla.; Fmr. Cincinnati IRS office worker speaks out
- Inside the IRS office that targeted conservative groups
- Oklahoma tornado leaves residents in state of shock
- Oklahoma governor: We need lots of prayers tonight
- 5/19: Surviving the Midwest twisters; How a $4.8 million winning ticket saved a family
- Oklahoma City manager: Tornado created "significant damage"
- Agent: I was ordered to let U.S. guns into Mexico
- Elizabeth Smart reacts to Cleveland kidnapping
- Severe weather: Where is the storm headed?
- 16-year-old finds a new way to detect cancer
- Okla. governor on tornado's destruction
