1:33pm UK, Monday January 10, 2011
A woman has spoken of the moment she grabbed a gunman's ammunition as he tried to reload after firing on a crowd at a political rally in Arizona.
Patricia Maisch's bravery has been hailed by police who said her actions may have saved many lives.
Six people were killed in the attack and 14 others were wounded, including Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head from close range.
She had been holding a political meeting with the public in Tucson.
Ms Maisch was in the queue to have her photograph taken with Ms Giffords when the gunman opened fire.
Ms Maisch described how she had to make a decision; either flee the area or get down to the floor. She choose the latter.
Two men, Roger Salzgeber and Bill Badger, tackled the attacker to the ground, and then, as he was trying to put more bullets into his gun, Ms Maisch took the magazine away from him.
She said: "Someone yelled get the gun. I knelt up over him. The gun was too far but as the other gentleman was grabbing the gun, he (the attacker) was pulling a magazine out of his pocket and I managed to get the magazine."
Police at the scene of the shooting
Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik described Ms Maisch's actions as "one of the most heroic acts I’ve ever seen".
He added: "This lady was standing in line to have her picture taken with Gabrielle when all hell broke loose.
"And for whatever reason, she decided something had to be done... she might have saved many, many lives."
But Ms Maisch struck a modest tone in describing her actions, crediting the men who tackled the shooter with saving the day.
Deadly Shooting Spree 
She told Fox News: "The magazine was secured. I'm not the hero, the two people who wrestled him to the ground were the heroes."
She went on: "Everything was happening so fast. I thought about how lucky I was to be alive."
Speaking about her community, she said: "We’re pretty common, everyday folk. People in Arizona are pretty assertive and helpful, so I think we all pulled together."
Memorial has been set up for victims of the attack
While Ms Maisch and others helped subdue the gunman, another man stepped up to comfort and care for the victims.
Daniel Hernandez, who had been an intern at Ms Giffords’ office for just five days, effectively took control of the scene.
He surrounded the wounded politician as soon as she was shot, and stayed by her side while trying to help those around her.
Mr Hernandez, who had trained to be a certified nursing assistant in high school, said he used his "basic triage" and "basic first aid" knowledge to assist his boss.
'Heroine' Tells Of Subduing Arizona Gunman
1:33pm UK, Monday January 10, 2011
A woman has spoken of the moment she grabbed a gunman's ammunition as he tried to reload after firing on a crowd at a political rally in Arizona.
Patricia Maisch's bravery has been hailed by police who said her actions may have saved many lives.
Six people were killed in the attack and 14 others were wounded, including Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head from close range.
She had been holding a political meeting with the public in Tucson.
Ms Maisch was in the queue to have her photograph taken with Ms Giffords when the gunman opened fire.
Arizona shootings: Timeline of events
Ms Maisch described how she had to make a decision; either flee the area or get down to the floor. She choose the latter.
Two men, Roger Salzgeber and Bill Badger, tackled the attacker to the ground, and then, as he was trying to put more bullets into his gun, Ms Maisch took the magazine away from him.
She said: "Someone yelled get the gun. I knelt up over him. The gun was too far but as the other gentleman was grabbing the gun, he (the attacker) was pulling a magazine out of his pocket and I managed to get the magazine."
Police at the scene of the shooting
Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik described Ms Maisch's actions as "one of the most heroic acts I’ve ever seen".
He added: "This lady was standing in line to have her picture taken with Gabrielle when all hell broke loose.
"And for whatever reason, she decided something had to be done... she might have saved many, many lives."
But Ms Maisch struck a modest tone in describing her actions, crediting the men who tackled the shooter with saving the day.
Deadly Shooting Spree
She told Fox News: "The magazine was secured. I'm not the hero, the two people who wrestled him to the ground were the heroes."
She went on: "Everything was happening so fast. I thought about how lucky I was to be alive."
Speaking about her community, she said: "We’re pretty common, everyday folk. People in Arizona are pretty assertive and helpful, so I think we all pulled together."
Memorial has been set up for victims of the attack
While Ms Maisch and others helped subdue the gunman, another man stepped up to comfort and care for the victims.
Daniel Hernandez, who had been an intern at Ms Giffords’ office for just five days, effectively took control of the scene.
He surrounded the wounded politician as soon as she was shot, and stayed by her side while trying to help those around her.
Mr Hernandez, who had trained to be a certified nursing assistant in high school, said he used his "basic triage" and "basic first aid" knowledge to assist his boss.
Intern Helped Congresswoman After Attack
He picked her up to keep her from asphyxiating and applied pressure to the wound until paramedics arrived. He said he just "detached myself emotionally" in order to keep a level head.
Mr Hernandez said he knew Ms Giffords was conscious during that period because she would squeeze his hand in response to questions.
"I know Gabbie, she’s a fighter," said Hernandez, who had worked for the congresswoman before joining the office as an intern. "I wasn’t surprised when she was still alert."
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