A photo shared by The Washington Post’s Heather Long the day after the horrifying events in Las Vegas has been shared thousands of time. It is a picture of Jonathan Smith, shirtless, in red shorts, sitting in a waiting room, injuries bandaged. Although Smith became a victim of the mass shooting that night, he became a hero first.
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
Jordan Smith of Buena Park, California, is a father of 3 children: Jonathan Jr., Jayden and Julian. On the night of the Route 91 Harvest Festival, Jonathan was celebrating his brother’s birthday. As shots rang out, according to witnesses, Jonathan helped dozens of people by ushering them to safety before he too was shot and wounded. He put his life on the line to help those around him get to safety, reported ABC News.
Jonathan broke down a security gate and formed a human chain to get his fellow concert goers to safety. “I ran back towards the shooting,” he said. After encouraging several terrified people to run from the venue, he was shot in the neck. An off-duty San Diego police officer nearby then used his own shirt to treat Jonathan’s wound and helped him get to a hospital. Smith says he doesn’t consider himself a hero, just someone who was doing the right thing.
While Jonathan is recovering, the bullet remains in his neck, because doctors feared attempting to remove it could cause further damage. He also suffered from a broken collar bone and a cracked rib. Smith’s sister-in-law started a GoFundMe page to help Smith cover his medical and living expenses while he is unable to work.
Thank God for Jonathan and others like him, who that night saved so many lives and showed the best of the human spirit.