‘I had to run and survive’: Man shot at Gorge campground recounts escape from gunman
Jun 20, 2023, 6:43 AM | Updated: 6:46 am
(Photo from KIRO 7)
(Photo from KIRO 7)
A night of dancing turned to chaos at the Gorge Amphitheater campground over the weekend after a shooter opened fire, killing two and injuring at least two others. Among the victims was Eugene resident Andrew Cuadra, who was shot in the shoulder.
Cuadra — who is recovering at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle — said he was looking for his brother and was about to go back into the concert venue when the shooting happened.
“The guy pops out of nowhere behind a tent and then points a gun and shoots me,” he told KIRO 7.
When the bullet hit his left shoulder, he said all he could think about were his two young daughters.
“I want to see my daughters. I can’t leave them behind,” he recounted. “It is the reason why I had to run and survive.”
Before shots rang out, he recalled hearing a woman say she needed to call the police.
“And then within like five, 10 seconds, I hear her again saying, ‘Please don’t do this, you don’t need to do this,’” he said.
After he was hit, he said he started running away, with the gunman chasing after him. He said he still doesn’t know who the shooter is. Officials said the gunman was also shot and survived.
Cuadra was able to hide behind a tent, which he credits for helping him escape.
Meanwhile, another festival attendee helped put pressure on his wound until paramedics could get to him. He was taken by Life Flight to a hospital in Quincy and then later flown to Harborview for surgery.
“I think it shattered part of my shoulder and then came up on my clavicle,” he said. “I can’t lift my arm or move it around, but I can move my fingers and feel everything.”
He told KIRO 7 that his daughters are what keeps him moving forward.
“That’s all I want to do is hold my daughters and give them kisses and love, but unfortunately I won’t be able to hold both of them because I only have one functional arm right now,” he said.
“But I think I’ll be able to manage,” he added.
Friends of Cuadra’s have set up a GoFundMe to help pay for his medical costs. You can donate here.
