Active Shooter Opens Fire Into Crowd, Man Acts On Instinct And Shields Girlfriend To Save Her Life

It was a hellish 32 seconds that the residents in Dayton Ohio will never forget. 24-year-old Connor Betts opened fire into the crowded Oregon District with an AR-15-style assault rifle, killing 9 and wounding 27 more.

In the mix was Camryn Crowder and his girlfriend Brittany Dungey. They became new parents just three weeks prior, and it was their first night out since the birth of their baby. They were walking down the street when shots rang out.

Recalling the carnage, Crowder told CBS news that he feared the worst.

"I saw people getting hit. I literally saw them fall…" Crowder said. "I was certain that I was going to be next in line, really, at some point," he said.

 I was pretty nervous. I mean, I thought for sure that it was gonna be my last day really being alive

- Camryn Crowder

He sacrificed himself for her

With bullets flying by and bodies falling, Crowder had only one thing on his mind: Protecting his girlfriend and mother of his child.

"It was really about me getting her out of the way," he said. "Making sure that she was safe."  

Footage captured Crowder quickly taking Dungey to the floor, staying atop her to shield her from the gunfire as he moved them to cover.

Speaking with Inside Edition, Dungey says that she too was certain their time was up.

"In that moment i thought that we were going to die. I fell down so fast, I thought I got shot," she recalled.

Fortunately for the couple, both came out alive.

"I mean, I was just one of the lucky ones," said Crowder.

Love is sacrifice

You don't have to remind Dungey of how lucky she is to have her boyfriend.

He's the best boyfriend in the world. He's the absolute best, and has a big heart and now everyone can finally see that.

- Brittany Dungey

Most of us aren't trained for how to react and protect our loved ones during a mass shooting. It's often pure luck, and the victims of that awful day will never be forgotten.

In those times, the only chance of survival is often pure luck or pure instinct. Some of those instincts are forged through the bonds built and love shared with them.

Faced with a nightmare threat, Camryn Crowder drew on his instinctual love for his girlfriend and narrowly escaped to share their story.

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