Colorado veteran who tackled gunman at LGBTQ club describes risking his life to save his family - NBC News

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A decorated service seasoned who tackled the shooter who killed 5 successful a Colorado Springs cheery nine said helium wanted to support the adjacent knit assemblage wrong the room.

Richard Fierro, 45, was astatine Club Q celebrating a day with his wife, their girl and her friends erstwhile helium recovered himself 1 of 2 radical who subdued the attacker equipped with an AR-15 benignant firearm and wearing a flak vest.

“I conscionable cognize I got into mode, and I needed to prevention my household — and my household was astatine that clip everybody successful that room,” helium said successful a quality league extracurricular his location connected Monday.

“That's what I was trained to do. I saw him and I went and got him...  I tried to prevention radical and it didn’t enactment retired for five. There’s 5 radical who aren’t location close now."

“I didn’t inquire for this,” helium said, adding helium was determination to ticker his daughter’s inferior prom day perform. “I’m not a hero, I’m conscionable immoderate dude,” helium said.

Fierro served successful the subject for 15 years, doing tours successful Iraq and Afghanistan, earlier leaving arsenic a major.

Jessica Fierrovia Facebook

Authorities connected Monday identified Fierro and Thomas James arsenic the patrons who stopped the gunman aft helium opened occurrence conscionable earlier midnight.

“I person ne'er encountered a idiosyncratic who had engaged successful specified heroic actions who was truthful humble astir it,” Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said of Fierro during a quality league Monday. “He simply said to me, ‘I was trying to support my family.’”

In an interrogation astatine her location Monday afternoon, Jessica Fierro described her husband's heroic efforts to forestall greater tragedy.

“My hubby took the gunman down,” she said. “My hubby knocked the guns retired of his hands and took the pistol and virtually started hitting the feline with it.”

“We were having a large time, we were each connected the creation level and from 1 infinitesimal to the adjacent you conscionable heard gunshots and everyone was separated and conscionable started running,” she said. “It was implicit chaos.”

Her hubby yelled for idiosyncratic to telephone the police, she said. 

At the time, different antheral who had fallen to the ground, got up and started kicking the gunman. Fierro injured his hands, knees and ankles successful apprehending the shooter, his woman said.

As gunfire erupted, Jessica Fierro made her mode to a patio area, she said.

“I was zoned, I was dazed, I was scared,” she said. But her hubby remained inside.

Jessica Fierro said her 2 champion friends were changeable and her girl broke her genu moving for cover. She said her daughter’s fellow was killed in the attack.

The 22-year-old fishy was arrested by constabulary who arrived wrong minutes, authorities said Sunday. He was arrested connected suspicion of 5 counts of archetypal grade execution and 5 counts of bias motivated oregon hatred crimes.

Richard Fierro during a quality league extracurricular his location connected Monday.Jack Dempsey / AP

Joe Aldaz, a household friend, had not heard of Fierro’s actions arsenic of Monday afternoon, but said specified bravery would travel people for the veteran.

“I cognize Rich Fierro,” Aldaz said. “That would not astonishment maine that helium would leap to that benignant of heroism.”

Aldaz is the president of the Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber and said Jessica and Richard Fierro are members. The mates ain Atrevida Beer Co., which opened successful January 2018.

A Bronze Star Medal recipient, Fierro served arsenic a tract artillery serviceman successful the Army from June 1999 to November 2013, and held the fertile of Major astatine the extremity of service, the Army said.

Besides the Bronze Star, which is fixed to work members who person “distinguished himself oregon herself by heroic oregon meritorious accomplishment oregon service,” helium was besides awarded respective different commendation and accomplishment medals.

According to a biography connected San Diego State University's website, Fierro graduated arsenic the AROTC Distinguished Military Grad successful 1999. He spent the adjacent 15 years successful the Army serving successful assorted positions including platoon leader, artillery commander, battalion operations officer, brigade plans serviceman and corps antagonistic occurrence officer. 

He earned his MBA from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs past year.

Deon J. Hampton reported from Colorado Springs, and Janelle Griffith and Melissa Chan reported from New York.