{"id":190881,"date":"2023-07-06T14:28:45","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T18:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=181680"},"modified":"2023-07-06T14:28:45","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T14:59:32","slug":"horrific-mass-shooting-inspires-arizona-dad-to-become-nra-certified","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/horrific-mass-shooting-inspires-arizona-dad-to-become-nra-certified\/","title":{"rendered":"From Tragedy to Triumph: Arizona Dad Becomes NRA Certified Instructor After Surviving Mass Shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Mr. Mendez with Wayne LaPierre. (Photo: NRA<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span>Estimated reading time: <\/span>3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Arizona dad saved 30 people last year on July 3rd after being shot in the head. Now he\u2019s using his experience as a way to help others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A year ago this week, several families were gathered together in Surprise Arizona, celebrating our country the way we all love to. Reports say that a fight had broken out, and then witnesses told Fox10<\/a><\/em> <\/a>they thought they\u2019d heard fireworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI heard what I thought were fireworks going off in someone\u2019s backyard off the street, and then I started hearing voices,\u201d one woman said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what was going on. There was crying and kind of wailing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mass Shooting, Mass Terror<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jason Hunt, a neighbor who has been identified as the only suspect, had apparently started shooting. Two men were killed and four others were injured. One of those injured was Raul Mendez, the host of the party. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He later told FoxNews <\/em><\/a>that he had been shot in the head in front of his pregnant wife. She saw the blood, and thinking him dead, took her two daughters to hide in the house. She \u201cbarricaded the door with the dresser\u201d and told the kids to hide under clothes and make no sounds. There were three children in there besides Mendez\u2019s girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mendez pulled himself up when two women, who were fighting against the still-shooting Hunt, called for him. These two women knew something Hunt didn\u2019t. Mendez had a concealed carry license and was packing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mendez is quoted as saying, \u201cBy the glory of God or the adrenaline and just everything, just the will to live and the will to protect my family, I was able to hear those pleas, those yells for help. I heard my name. And I was able to get up.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shot at Hunt four times and successfully stopped the mass shooting before it became any worse. Detectives who later investigated the case declared that the shots fired by Mendez were unquestionably in self-defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mendez was taken to a hospital, where he was kept for a week. Fox News<\/em> says \u201cHe lost his left eye, fractured his jaw, suffered a torn eardrum, and lost his sense of smell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raul Mendez, NRA Certified<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But this isn\u2019t the end of the story for Mendez. He has taken this traumatic experience as a learning opportunity and got himself certified as an NRA Instructor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He told Fox News Digital,<\/em> “The reason why I became an instructor was just to have the knowledge to train my family, train my friends, and especially, you know, since I am that living proof that firearms or a gun in the hands of law-abiding citizens save lives,”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ MORE ABOUT RAUL MENDEZ: Hero Stopped Mass Shooting, But Mainstream Media Never Covered The Story<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In his interview with Fox<\/em><\/a>, Mendez also mentioned that he wished people knew his story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He says “You don’t really hear about, \u2018Hey, there was a shooting, but a guy with a CCW or a father or a husband was able to protect his family or took out his own firearm,'” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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