Vet Who Took Down Gunman Chokes Up During Interview: ‘My Daughter and Wife Should Have Never Experienced Combat’

Richard M. Fierro, a 15-year Army veteran who was identified as one of the patrons of Club Q in Colorado Springs who helped subdue the gunman that entered the bar and opened fire, joined CNN on Monday to discuss the ordeal.

Fierro, who began the interview by saying this was “not about me,” recalled the events of Saturday night as he protected his wife and daughter while they were in the LGBTQ club.

CNN anchor John Berman discussed that night with Fierro who recalled grabbing the shooter’s pistol and hitting him with it while he and another patron pulled the shooter to the ground.

Berman noted, “You trained to do that in combat, not out for a night on the town.”

“Yeah, but it lives in you. If you actually do this stuff, it’s in you. I was proud to be a soldier. I don’t, I don’t like these guys running around here doing GI Joe stuff, and they’re not. I’m not a GI Joe. I’m just a normal guy, man,” Fierro replied, adding:

I’m protecting my family. And I reached up and I did what I had to do. And and honestly, I don’t I don’t care about myself in that moment. I cared about everybody that was around me and I cared, especially about my family. As soon as I got done with that guy and the cop came in, I went across the room and started first aid with my friend who was shot in the chest and the legs in the arms.

“And I told Joann, stay with me. Look me in the eye, stay with me. And I moved her head so she wouldn’t him because he was shot. Chip was right there, her husband was reaching for her. So I put her hand in his so that they could be together. I didn’t know if they’re going to make it,” he continued, getting choked up.

“This whole thing was a lot, my daughter, and wife should have never experienced combat in Colorado Springs and everybody in that building experienced combat that night. Not on their own accord, but because they were forced to,” Fierro continued.

“They have to live with this now for whenever. It’s a lot for any human, man. This kid that was helping me was kicking another human in the head. And I told him to do it. I don’t know what to do. You know, there was a beautiful, one of the other performers was walking by when the kid was getting tired of kicking. And she did, she helped him, kicked him with the high heels that she had on, and then ran because she’s probably scared. I don’t know what’s going on in there. I was trying to get people to call the police,” he concluded. The gunman is now in custody and charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and hate crime-related charges.

Fierro also mourned the loss of his daughter’s boyfriend, who was killed during the shooting, which claimed five lives and left dozens injured.

Watch the full clip above via CNN