When army veteran Rich Fierro realized a gunman was spraying bullets inside the club where he had gathered with friends and family, instincts from his military training immediately kicked in.

First he ducked to avoid any potential incoming fire, then he moved to try to disarm the shooter.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 the reflex. Go! Go to the fire. Stop the action. Stop the activity. Donsa国际传媒檛 let no one get hurt. I tried to bring everybody back,sa国际传媒� he said Monday outside his home in Colorado Springs, where an American flag hung from the porch.

Fierro is one of two people police are crediting with saving lives by subduing a 22-year-old man armed with multiple firearms, including an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, who went on night at Club Q, for the LGBTQ community in Colorado Springs. and at least 17 wounded.

Fierro was there with his daughter Kassy, her boyfriend and several other friends to see a drag show and celebrate a birthday. He said it was one of the groupsa国际传媒檚 most enjoyable nights. That suddenly changed when the shots rang out and Kassysa国际传媒檚 boyfriend, Raymond Green Vance, was fatally shot.

Speaking to reporters at his home Monday, Fierro teared up as he recalled Raymond smiling and dancing before the shooting started.

Fierro could smell the cordite from the ammunition, saw the flashes and dove, pushing his friend down before falling backwards.

Looking up from the floor, Fierro saw the shootersa国际传媒檚 body armor and the crowd that had fled to the clubsa国际传媒檚 patio. Moving toward , Fierro grasped the body armor, yanked the shooter down while yelling at another patron, Thomas James, to move the rifle out of reach.

As the shooter was pinned under a barrage of punches from Fierro and kicks to the head from James, he tried to reach for his pistol. Fierro grabbed it and used it as a bludgeon.

sa国际传媒淚 tried to finish him,sa国际传媒� he said.

When a clubgoer ran by in heels, Fierro told her to kick the gunman. She stuffed her high-heeled shoe in the attackersa国际传媒檚 face, Fierro said. Del Lusional, a drag queen who performed at Club Q on Saturday night, said on Twitter that the patron who intervened with her heel was a transgender woman.

sa国际传媒淚 love them,sa国际传媒� Fierro said of the citysa国际传媒檚 LGBTQ community. sa国际传媒淚 have nothing but love.sa国际传媒�

Fierro served three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan as a field artillery officer and left the Army as a major in 2013, an army spokesperson said.

He noted he had dealt with violence. Thatsa国际传媒檚 what he signed up for. sa国际传媒淣obody in that club asked to do this,sa国际传媒� he said, but everyone sa国际传媒渋s going to have to live with it now.sa国际传媒�

Fierro and James, about whom little was known as of Monday evening, pinned the shooter down until officers arrived minutes later. Fierro was briefly handcuffed and sat in a police car as law enforcement tried to calm the chaos.

sa国际传媒淚 have never encountered a person who had engaged in such heroic actions who was so humble about it,sa国际传媒� Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said of Fierro on Monday. sa国际传媒淗e simply said to me, sa国际传媒業 was trying to protect my family.sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒�

The suspect, who was said to be carrying multiple guns and additional ammunition magazines, faces .

Fierrosa国际传媒檚 wife, Jess, said via Facebook that her husband had bruised his right side and injured his hands, knees and ankle. sa国际传媒淗e was covered in blood,sa国际传媒� she wrote on the page of their brewery, Atrevida Beer Co.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that President Joe Biden had spoken with the Fierros. sa国际传媒淗e offered his condolences to them and also his support and talked through what itsa国际传媒檚 like to grieve,sa国际传媒� Jean-Pierre said, adding that Biden thanked Fierro for his instinct to act and save lives.

Though his actions saved lives, Fierro said the deaths sa国际传媒� including his daughtersa国际传媒檚 boyfriend, Vance sa国际传媒� were a tragedy both personal and for the broader community. The self-described sa国际传媒渄ude from San Diegosa国际传媒� who said he was from a family of immigrants rebuffed the idea that he was a hero and asked to keep focus on those whose lives were lost.

sa国际传媒淭here are five people that I could not help. And one of which was family to me,sa国际传媒� he said, as his brother put a consoling hand on his shoulder.

Fierro said he doesnsa国际传媒檛 remember if the gunman responded as he yelled and struggled to subdue him, but he has thought about their next interaction.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 gonna see that guy in court,sa国际传媒� Fierro said. sa国际传媒淎nd that guysa国际传媒檚 gonna see who did him.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒擩esse Bedayn And Sam Metz, The Associated Press