A brave soccer fan who was shot while tackling an armed gunman during a World Cup watch party has publicly thanked the hero police officer who saved his life.
Luis Romero, a resident of Duarte, California, is currently recovering in the hospital after a chaotic and terrifying shooting unfolded in the middle of a massive crowd.
The violence erupted during a heavily attended outdoor public watch party for the South Korea vs Mexico World Cup group stage game in Los Angeles‘ Koreatown.
Romero was enjoying the match alongside his son, Leon, when an armed individual suddenly began opening fire indiscriminately into the gathered spectators.
The father successfully managed to tackle the gunman to the ground, but during the violent struggle, the suspect managed to fire a round directly into Romero’s leg.
The bullet severed a major artery in Romero’s thigh, causing him to collapse to the pavement and bleed out at an incredibly rapid and life-threatening rate.
A brave soccer fan who was shot while tackling an armed gunman during a World Cup watch party has publicly thanked the hero police officer who saved his life
LAPD Officer Helen Zhang applied a tourniquet to Romero’s leg, in order to stop the bleeding
Amid the panic and stampede of fleeing fans, LAPD Officer Helen Zhang rushed toward the gunfire and found Romero lying in a massive pool of his own blood.
The four-year department veteran immediately put her training to use and tightly applied a tourniquet directly to Romero’s leg, in order to stop the bleeding.
After footage of the terrifying incident went viral on social media, Romero has since offered a heartfelt thank you to Officer Zhang for helping save his life on the day.
In an interview with ABC7 Los Angeles, Romero said: ‘Thank you for saving my life [and] for helping me.’
Meanwhile, son Leon said: ‘I fell in love with her because she helped my dad out. That’s a beautiful thing to do.’
In her own interview with the network, Zhang shed light on the harrowing ordeal.
‘There was a lot of blood. Right away, I knew this man needed help right now. The training just kicked in,’ she said.
‘He’s an older gentleman who reminded me of my father, certainly. I found out he was there with his son, so I’m just really happy that he made it.’
While Romero faces an extensive physical rehabilitation process ahead, a GoFundMe campaign has been established to help his family navigate his lengthy recovery.
The description to the campaign reads: ‘My father, Luis Romero, was attending a World Cup watch party in Koreatown when a dangerous situation unfolded on June 18th, 2026.
‘A 19-year-old individual arrived armed with a gun, ammunition, a satchel, and a handheld knife. Faced with a threat to the people around him, my father made a split-second decision to act.
‘Rather than stand by while innocent people were in danger, Luis confronted the armed individual. In doing so, he helped prevent what could have become a much greater tragedy.
‘During the confrontation, my father was shot through the thigh, suffering a serious injury that damaged an artery.’
Meanwhile, Zheng’s active police partner successfully subdued the alleged shooter on the scene, later identified by authorities as Andy Rodriguez, and booked him into custody.
The viral video footage of the incident has been officially integrated into the active shooting investigation as local detectives continue their work on the case.
More to follow…
