Umpqua
A GoFundMe page for UCC hero Chris Mintz was created by his cousin to help pay for his medical bills. Pictured: People took part in a vigil after the tragic shooting in Oregon Thursday. Reuters

Army veteran Chris Mintz is being lauded as a hero after he attempted to block a door as shooting suspect Chris Harper Mercer opened fire on Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, Thursday. Mintz was shot seven times, and he will need extensive physical therapy to recover.

To help pay for his medical bills, a GoFundMe page was created by his cousin, Derek Bourgeois. The money will reportedly be sent to Mintz.

“Yesterday, my cousin Chris Mintz was shot 7 times while trying to protect others from the gunman at Umpqua Community College,” Bourgeois wrote. “He is a father, a veteran, a student, and now, he's a hero.”

Because of his heroism, both of his legs were broken. “While Chris is not the type of person to ask for it, he is going to need all of the help he can get while he recovers!” Bourgeois wrote. “Myself and many family members have been swamped with requests for us to set up a GoFundMe page, so this is us fulfilling that request, and we appreciate your concerns and assistance.”

UCC
Umpqua Community College, the site of a Thursday shooting that left 10 people -- including the suspected gunman -- dead and others injured. Google Maps

Within an hour of being created, the page raised nearly $5,000 from more than 100 donors. The page has a goal of $10,000.

The tragedy at UCC Thursday left 10 people dead, including the shooter. But if it weren’t for Mintz, there might have been more fatalities.

Mintz "tried to protect some people," his aunt Sheila Brown told NBC News Friday. "We were told he did heroic things to protect some people."

Brown wasn’t sure how Mintz's legs were broken. But she’s not surprised that Mintz responded courageously to the shooting. "He was on the wrestling team, and he's done cage-fighting, so it does not surprise me that he would act heroically," she said.

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