Chaos erupted with people running and screaming. Daniel Hernández heard gunshots. Most people would get as far away as possible -- but he ran toward them. And his courageous decision likely saved Rep. Gabrielle Gifford's life.
Hernández, 20, had only been an intern for the congresswoman for five days when a man opened fire outside a "Congress on Your Corner" event.
He moved from person to person checking pulses, according to the Arizona Republic. "First the neck, then the wrist," he told the paper. Then he saw Giffords on the sidewalk. She was bleeding.
Finding congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot, he immediately applied pressure to the entry wound on her forehead while he waited for EMT's to arrive. He pulled her into his lap, holding her upright against him so she wouldn't choke on her own blood. She was conscious, but quiet.
He never let go of his boss.
Hours later Hernández met with Giffords friends and family. His own family arrived and he told them about the people he knew who had died.
"You just have to be calm and collected," he told the paper. "You do no good to anyone if you have a breakdown. . . . It was probably not the best idea to run toward the gunshots, but people needed help."
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