Monday, November 20, 2017

Mother shot four times as she shielded her children from Tehama killer

PHOMMATHEP PHOTO
The Phommathep children were wounded by the Tehama shooter.

ASAM NEWS


A QUIET DRIVE HOME to Rancho Tehama after a quick trip to Sacramento turned into a day of terror for Tiffany Phommathep and three of her sons.

Phommathep was nearing an intersection in her Ford F-250 crew cab when authorities say Kevin Janson Neal bumped her from behind. Neal is the same man who killed his wife and went on to kill four others and injure 12, including six children. 

After bumping her, Neal then drove up alongside her and began firing.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Phommathep was shot four times in the back of her left shoulder. Another bullet was lodged in her intestine. Through it all, she shielded her son John Jr who was sitting in the passenger seat to her left. He was shot twice.

Two children sitting in the back suffered minor injuries-six-year-old Jake was shot in the foot and two-year-old Nikos was cut by glass.

Neal is the same man who killed his wife and went on to kill four others and injure 12, including six children. He was eventually shot and killed by police.

“I was just praying. Every bullet that hit me, I was praying he’d stop. Or run out of ammo,” said Phommathep to KXTV.

The mother who has a license to carry a concealed handgun pulled it out to defend her family, but says Neal drove quickly away before she could get off a shot. All she could think of was her children.

“I want to get better so I can be with my kids. I just want to see them grow,” said Phommathep.

“She was in so much pain, but she had to protect her kids,” said her husband Johnny Phommathep to the LA Times. “She said the gun felt like it was a thousand pounds, and it was like there was lava in the back of her shoulder.”

She continued to drive looking for help, but at least four people ignored her pleas including one who told her she didn’t want to be late for work.

It wasn’t until she ran into Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston that someone would help her.

“I was just relieved that even if I stopped breathing at that moment, then I wouldn’t have left my kids stranded with nobody [and if the gunman returned] get gunned down,” she said.

Phommathep is expected to be in the hospital at least another two weeks. A Go Fund Me page set up to help the family has raised just over $50,000 of its $70,000 goal.

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