PHOENIX (AP) — The intern hailed as a hero for helping save the life of then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords following an attempted assassination is running to represent her former district in Congress.
Daniel Hernandez Jr. was a 20-year-old college student in his first week interning for Giffords when a gunman opened fire at a constituent event killing six and injuring 13, including Giffords. Hernandez kept the congresswoman conscious and applied pressure to her head wound until paramedics arrived.
He is currently a Democratic representative in the state House of Representatives. A trauma surgeon who operated on Giffords that day, Dr. Randy Friese, is also running, along with state Sen. Kirsten Engel.
