Decorated U.S. Army veteran one of two men who took down Colorado shooter - Reuters

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Nov 21 (Reuters) - A decorated Iraq and Afghanistan seasoned who had taken his household to enactment a resistance amusement performer who was 1 of his daughter's friends said his U.S. Army grooming took implicit erstwhile gunfire broke retired astatine a Colorado LGBTQ club.

"It's the reflex," Rich Fierro told reporters gathered connected the snow-covered beforehand gait of his suburban Colorado Springs location Monday evening. "Go. Go to the fire. Stop the action. Stop the activity. Don't fto nary 1 get hurt."

Fierro described grabbing the fishy by the armor the gunman was wearing, dragging him down and utilizing the shooter's pistol to bushed him precocious Saturday aft 5 radical were killed and astatine slightest 17 wounded. The dormant included the fellow of Fierro's daughter, identified by Colorado Springs constabulary arsenic Raymond Green Vance.

At an earlier quality conference, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers had identified Fierro arsenic 1 of "two heroes," on with Thomas James, who "saved a batch of lives" astatine Club Q successful Colorado Springs.

Fierro said galore others deserved credit, including a young antheral who had been dancing with his girl and dragged her to information erstwhile the shooting started, and a resistance performer who kicked the gunman with her precocious heels arsenic Fierro held him down.

"I'm not a hero," Fierro said. "I'm conscionable immoderate dude."

Officials did not elaborate connected the men's actions, and Fierro's comments provided details investigators person not spoken about. Fierro said helium was detained for astir an hr by constabulary who recovered him with a pistol successful his manus successful the confused aftermath of the shooting.

He mourned his daughter's boyfriend, who helium said helium had known since his girl was successful precocious school.

"He's a bully kid. And I loved him," Fierro said.

The wounded included a couple, adjacent friends of Fierro who person 2 young children.

"I privation I could person saved everybody successful there," Fierro said. "I privation I could person done more."

Fierro and his woman Jess Fierro ain a Colorado Springs brewery. Their Atrevida Beer Company was closed connected Monday arsenic household members gathered astatine their location successful a quiescent Colorado Springs suburb to mourn.

Jess Fierro had said earlier that her husband's hands, knees and an ankle were injured successful the conflict with the gunman.

Speaking from her doorstep, Jess Fierro told Reuters the unit sparked her husband's station traumatic accent disorder.

Rich Fierro served 14 years successful the subject and was awarded the Bronze Star doubly arsenic helium served arsenic a tract artillery serviceman during 3 tours of Iraq and a circuit of Afghanistan, U.S. Army records show.

Reporting by Keith Coffman successful Colorado Springs and Andrew Hay successful Taos, New Mexico; Editing by Donna Bryson, Stephen Coates and Simon Cameron-Moore

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