Among the heroes in Orlando: a bouncer named Imran Yousuf. As a Marine, he recognized the sounds of gunfire, and was in a back hallway when people starting fleeing in panic. For a few moments, they were trapped — and then Imran ran out into the open so he could unlatch a door and provide escape.
He estimates that 6o or 70 people were able to flee through that door.
“I wish I could have saved more to be honest,” he told CBS News. “There are a lot of people that are dead.”
It’s hard to even imagine what he’s going through — only 24, he probably assumed that the worst violence of his life was behind him after finishing his service in Afghanistan.
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And yet he has a strong perspective on the whole tragedy, writing on Facebook:
I do appreciate the love and support and thank all of you from the bottom of my heart but please, this is not about me. We need to show our love and profound efforts to the families and friends who have lost someone and help them cope with what happened and turn our efforts to those who truly need it.
At a time when some are trying to insert themselves into the story of what happened, it’s admirable to hear anyone says “this is not about me.” Especially when those words come from someone who was not only present, and not only took an active role in averting further tragedy, but who lost friends and coworkers that night.
He may reject the attention and the word “hero,” but we could all learn a lot from brave people like Imran Yousuf.
Alistair Wiseman
As the days unfold, I’m sure we will hear more stories of this kind of bravery and decency that these poor souls had to endure.
Bryguyf69
Not that it should matter but CBS also points out that he is Hindu, a religion we don’t hear much about. I point it out only to show the multicultural dimensions of this tragedy.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/war-veteran-imran-yousef-saves-dozens-during-orlando-nightclub-shooting-omar-mateen/
GC1985
He saved multiple lives and while many died, it could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for his actions and the actions of others… including police.
Mo Bro
@GC1985: Hear, hear