Orange County man shot in neck while trying to save strangers during Las Vegas shooting

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Tuesday, October 3, 2017
OC man shot in neck while trying saving strangers in Vegas shooting
An Orange County man suffered a gunshot to the neck while trying to save the lives of strangers during the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS (KABC) -- An Orange County man suffered a gunshot to the neck while trying to save the lives of strangers during the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas.

When the gunshots rang out, Jonathan Smith, 30, grabbed several strangers and directed them to run and hide behind a row of cars.

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In this photo provided by the Mesquite, Nev., Police Department, police personnel stand outside the home of Stephen Paddock on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, in Mesquite.
Mesquite Police via AP

That's when Smith was shot in the neck. He said an off-duty San Diego police officer stopped the bleeding and flagged down a car to get him to the hospital for treatment.

The bullet remains lodged in Smith's neck. Doctors are keeping the bullet there, saying removing it may cause more damage.

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A GoFundMe page was set up to go toward Smith's medical expenses.