Off-duty firefighter shot, wounded while shielding wife in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS -- An off-duty Arizona firefighter was shot and seriously wounded while shielding his wife from the barrage of gunfire at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas Sunday, reports CBS affiliate KPHO.
Kurt Fowler, a Lake Havasu City resident and a firefighter/EMT in the Desert Hills Fire Department, is still being treated in a Las Vegas hospital, the station reports.
Desert Hills Fire Capt. Steve Bunn told the station that Fowler was at the country music festival with his wife Sunday when shots rang out.
Bunn said Fowler and his wife heard the gunfire and Fowler took his wife to the ground and shielded her. That's when he was struck in the lower right leg by a bullet.
It was one of dozens of stories of heroism that emerged from the massacre, which was the deadliest in the nation's history.
Police have identified the gunman as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, who they say brought multiple firearms to a suite on the 32nd floor of the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel, smashed two windows and opened fire, killing 58 and wounding more than 500.
Fowler had surgery on his leg Monday afternoon. Doctors believe the procedure went well, Bunn said.
Fire Chief Pat Dennen and several firefighters drove to Las Vegas to be at the hospital with Fowler, Bunn told the station. One of the firefighters brought Fowler's three children and others made the trip in hopes of donating blood, he said.
Fellow firefighters describe Fowler as "a good guy" and "a family man."
"Everything he does is oriented around his wife and kids. Good firefighter," Bunn told the station. "He's well-liked here. He's one of our brothers, and we're doing the best we can to support him and his family."
Members of the union that represents Desert Hills firefighters have launched an online fundraising campaign to help cover Fowler's medical expenses, rehab and other costs. The online fundraising page says Fowler will need to go through an extensive recovery and rehab that could range between seven and 10 months before he can return to work.
