With Wounded Leg, Off-Duty Firefighter Still Rescued Others In Las Vegas Shooting
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA) — When Las Vegas shooting survivor Steve Treskes heard the gunfire, he and his wife took off running.
"As we were running with our backs to Mandalay Bay, we could hear the rapid fire of the rifle coming right by us," recalled Treskes. "It was coming off the sheet metal of the concession stands and you could hear it whizzing by your ears."
Seconds later one bullet hit him in the back of the lower leg and another grazed his back.
In spite of the bullet lodged in his leg, the off-duty Torrance assistant fire chief then grabbed eight others and ran into the street. They piled into an Uber van that happened to be outside. They were one of the first groups to escape.
"God's hand was definitely on all of us, protecting us as we were getting out of there," said Treskes.
He was among the first to arrive at the Las Vegas hospital. He warned the doctors and nurses that there was a big group coming.
Minutes later, dozens were brought in with serious injuries.
In stable condition, Treskes volunteered to be treated at UCI Medical Center.
He was just released.
The bullet, he was told, will have to remain in his leg for life.
He hopes every limp, every wince, will remind him to be grateful for the life he almost lost when so many weren't so lucky.
"There's things we think are important in this world. There's things that really don't mean a whole lot," said Treskes. "And those sometimes seem to get out of order pretty quick based on the world we live in."