[DM] 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 towards 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.
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, 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.'