‘He's an angel': Wounded veteran helps save woman in midst of shooting

NBC 5 spoke exclusively with June Jaramillo — the resident Zapata was helping at the time — who said the moment quickly became terrifying.

A Fort Worth Police civilian response unit member is recovering after being struck by shrapnel during a shooting while helping a resident file a police report; an incident that quickly turned into a life-or-death situation.

Edward Zapata, a 30-year Marine Corps veteran, was working in Fort Worth’s Northside last week when gunfire erupted from across the street. Despite being injured, Zapata helped guide the woman he was assisting to safety.

NBC 5 spoke exclusively with June Jaramillo, the resident Zapata was helping at the time, who said the moment quickly became terrifying.

She described the fear as the two scrambled to escape the gunfire.

“I had actually called my husband to tell him that I love him and to tell my child that I love him just in case, 'cause I was already convinced that, like, me and Edward were gonna die,” Jaramillo said.

Jaramillo said she and Zapata climbed over a fence to reach safety in the backyard, unsure if they would survive. Even as an Army veteran, she said she had never experienced being caught in crossfire.

She credits Zapata with saving her life.

“He's an angel. He's an angel,” Jaramillo said.

Zapata, a Purple Heart recipient, said his training and instinct to serve took over in the moment — focusing on protecting Jaramillo despite his own injuries.

“That's what kicked in, you know, I just rolodex in my head because of what I got to do next, you know, protect her. not, not me,” Zapata said. “I glad was the one there. I'm the one that helped her.”

Zapata said he initially did not realize what was happening when the first shot rang out, but quickly reacted as the situation escalated.

Doctors are monitoring his eye injury and say it needs more time to heal before deciding whether to remove remaining fragments.

Despite the setback, Zapata said he hopes to return to the civilian response unit and continue serving the community.

Since the incident, Jaramillo said she’s been reflecting on how close she came to losing her life and credits Zapata for every moment she still has.

“Since the incident, every little, like, good thing that has happened to me, I'm, like, shout out to Edward, because, like, I want to have it. I wanna have it because I wanna be able to enjoy it without him saving me,” Jaramillo said.

Click here to visit the 'Help A Hero' campaign supporting Zapata's road to recovery.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.