The Army vet who heroically charged the Oregon gunman is expected to recover

Chris Mintz, a 30-year-old Army vet who survived combat deployment, wished his son a happy sixth birthday on Thursday before heading to his first week of classes at Umpqua Community College. At 10:38 a.m., a gunman began his rampage through the Snyder building on campus, an event that would leave ten dead, including the shooter, by the end of the day.

But when the attack began, Mintz didn't try to flee. In an act of heroism, The Daily Beast describes Mintz charging at the gunman in an effort to save others; he was shot at least five times as a result. Wounded on the floor, Mintz was overheard repeating, "It's my son's birthday, its my son's birthday."

Mintz has since undergone at least one surgery, and his cousin told The Daily Beast that he is expected to recover. "From what I'm hearing, he's fine," the cousin, Dereck Bourgeois, said. "But he's going to have to learn to walk again."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The UCC gunman reportedly wrote in a blog post August 31 that "[It] seems the more people you kill, the more you're in the limelight." Many publications, as well as the Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin, have refused to identify the gunman or otherwise "give him the credit he probably sought." The Daily Beast argues that it is Mintz's selfless heroism that should be remembered after the events of October 1 — not the name of yet another mass murderer.