Posted 03 October 2017 - 09:15
Posted 03 October 2017 - 09:15
News
Nurse killed in Las Vegas shooting saved his wife on wedding anniversary
Tributes have been paid to a nurse who died while protecting his wife from harm during the Las Vegas attack.
Tributes have been paid to a nurse who died while protecting his wife from harm during the Las Vegas shooting that claimed at least 59 lives.
Tennessee-based Sonny Melton was killed on Sunday night by a gunman who fired hundreds of rounds from a 32nd floor window of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino at people attending a concert.
According to White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, Mr Melton died shielding his wife, Heather, an orthopaedic surgeon. They were attending the event to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.
‘When the bullets began raining down, Sonny shielded her from danger, giving up his life to save hers,’ Ms Sanders said at a news conference on Monday.
Deadliest ever
The attack was the deadliest in modern US history, with 59 people so far known to have died and 527 being treated in hospital, many in critical condition.
During an interview on US TV, Dr Melton paid tribute to her husband, saying: ‘He saved my life. He grabbed me and started running when I felt him get shot in the back.
‘I want everyone to know what a kind-hearted, loving man he was, but at this point I can barely breathe.’
Mr Melton graduated in 2015 from Union University in Tennessee with a bachelor of science in nursing accelerated degree and was president of his class.
Kind spirit
‘You know how when you meet someone and you just know that they're good and kind? That was Sonny,’ said assistant professor of nursing at Union University Christy Davis. ‘He just had a sweet, kind spirit about him.’
Meanwhile, emergency department nurse Sharon Murphy used Twitter to ask for those wanting to help to donate blood to help the injured.
Tennessee governor Bill Haslam said in a statement on Twitter that he was praying for those affected by the shooting, including Mr Melton's family.
Tomas Gee, chief executive of the Henry County Medical Center in Paris, Tennessee, where both Mr Melton and his wife worked, said: ‘The thoughts and prayers of the entire HCMC family are with Sonny and Heather’s families.’
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