White House petition: Oregon shooting hero Chris Mintz should receive Medal of Freedom

Updated
'Forget the Zero, Remember the Hero'
'Forget the Zero, Remember the Hero'



An online petition is asking the Obama Administration to award the Medal of Freedom to Chris Mintz for his 'heroic' actions during the Umpqua Community College shootings in Oregon this past week.

The petition, which was posted on the White House's official website has received almost 3,000 signatures since it was posted on Oct. 2. It needs 100,000 signatures to receive a response from the administration.

The petition reads:

I am recommending Mr. Chris Mintz for the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his actions taken on 1 October 2015 during the shootings at the Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. Mr. Mintz, a Veteran, continues to display the values of the United States military by his actions to alert others of the danger and then to endanger himself while delaying the attacker to allow time for others to escape. Mr. Mintz positively displayed the values of loyalty, duty, respect, honor, integrity, personal courage, and self-sacrifice to attempt to save as many of his fellow citizens as possible. I believe that awarding Mr. Mintz the Presidential Medal of Freedom will hold him up as a strong example to the rest of America that one person can make a difference.


The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor. After the tragic shooting in Roseburg, Oregon this week shook the country, news about Mintz's heroic actions during the incident helped lift spirits.

SEE MORE: Oregon gunman may have killed more if not for hero student

As gunman Chris Harper-Mercer was on his rampage, Mintz, a U.S. Army combat veteran stationed in Iraq, tried to stop him. Mintz was studying at the community college to become a fitness trainer.

Jamie Skinner, the mother of Mintz's 6-year-old son told Reuters that Mercer then opened fire, hitting Mintz.

%shareLinks-quote="When Chris hit the ground, he told him it was our son's birthday yesterday. He took a couple more rounds after that...The assailant was not able to make it into the classroom, because Chris stopped him." type="quote" author="Jamie Skinner" authordesc="Mother of Mintz's child" isquoteoftheday="false"%

Miraculously, Mintz survived the attack. He is currently hospitalized with two broken legs and seven bullet wounds, Skinner said.

Mintz's cousin told Fox 8:

%shareLinks-quote="He's going to have to learn to walk again...But he walked away with his life, and that's more than so many other people did." type="quote" author="Ariana Earnhardt" authordesc="Cousin" isquoteoftheday="false"%


HERO Chris Mintz SPEAKS from his hospital bed.He was shot 7 times trying to stop the #UCCShooting. >>http://kiro.tv/Hero

Posted by Alison Grande on Saturday, October 3, 2015



In a video shot from his hospital bed, Mintz said he was "overwhelmed" by the support he has gotten over the past few days.

Mintz's heroic actions have received wide acclaim from multiple people on social media.









Mintz served from 2004 to 2007 in the Army, rising in the ranks from an infantryman to specialist. During that time, he received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

As well as the White House petition, a GoFundMe page set up by Mintz's family to help pay for his medical bills has already received more than $731,000. You can sign the petition here or donate to the fundraiser here.

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