WASHINGTON – One of those hit by bullets during the Navy Yard shooting lost his life, but helped save another.
D.C.’s mayor shared the dramatic details at an interfaith service held Wednesday night for victims of the shootings and their families.
The story centers on Arthur Daniels, a handyman at the Navy Yard, and the only D.C. resident killed there last week.
“He happened to have been in the area when this started, and he was with his supervisor who he lovingly referred to as ‘Bossman,'” Mayor Vincent Gray said during remarks Wednesday at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in D.C.
Gray said once Daniels and his supervisor figured out the sounds they were hearing were gunshots, the two took off.
“They ran for the elevator and the elevator door opened,” said Gray.
At that point, Daniels said, ‘Bossman, I’m hit,'” and pushed his supervisor into the elevator and out of harm’s way.
The mayor recounted the story after hearing it at Daniels’ funeral.
Gray also spoke Wednesday about D.C. police officer Scott Williams, who was shot in both legs while confronting gunman Aaron Alexis.
Gray said he was surprised by the officer’s attitude when he visited Williams in the hospital on the day of the shooting.
“I couldn’t believe his spirit.”
“Here he is just hours after surgery, laughing, joking, smiling and saying to me, ‘How long do you think this conversation will last because I’ve got to go home?’, which of course was not going to happen that day.”
After sharing those human stories, Gray raised his voice and spoke about what he said is America’s need for sensible gun control laws.
“And if that change doesn’t come, the only question is what day will we assemble again to mourn the loss of more people who have been gunned down.”
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