Cincy Actor Brings show to Louisville

Video Transcript:

here back now with that ABC news exclusive a mother shot 12 times during that deadly bank television broadcast for you, now telling her incredible tale of survival. Paula Farises here with us detail. Good morning, Paul. Good morning to you, Robin. Yes, shot 12 times in her chest neck arms torso and foot. Shot 12 times in her chest neck, arms torso and foot and shot 12 times in her chest neck, arms torso and foot, and she says what bothers her most is that people were warning her. They were waving at her, not to go into the building, but she was more focused on her phone call than on her surroundings. It's the morning of September 6th. Whitney Austin running late for work at 5th 3rds headquarters in Cincinnati. She's on a conference call as she walks toward the revolving door but never makes it inside. Probably inches before the bullets hit me and it felt like a burning sensation. Just moments before 29 year old Omar Perez had stormed into the lobby of the bank, armed with a handgun. Whitney is struck and falls to the ground. I immediately started to cough up blood and that's where my brain, that's where my brain immediately went toward. I'm dying. Police body camera video showing a terrifying scene as officers respond. I'm covered. I want you with you. I want you. Whitney realizing she's trapped. I immediately thought I want to say goodbye to my family and I knew I couldn't say goodbye to the kids because they were at school. I assumed he saw me move and he shot me several more times. Shot 12 times but still has the presence of mind to play dead until she spots a policeman. I'm shouting at him. I have a five and a seven year old who need their mother. You need to save me. Come get me. At that point they were tracking him. They then shoot him down. This photo capture in the moment she's safe. Police calling her husband. He said she's been involved in an active shooting. She's been hit multiple times in her chest and I was just, you know, reeling. I mean, I couldn't put anything together. Whitney spent five days in the hospital but four people died that day, including the shooter. She's since started a nonprofit called Whitney Strong to help reduce gun violence through responsible gun ownership. This is about making sure that our kids can go to school and they don't have to participate in active shooter drills. How in the hell can you make that conclusion? This is so people like me can walk into their place of employment and not get shot. How in the hell can you make that conclusion? And Whitney also told us that she now vows to live in the moment, especially when it comes to her children. She has more surgeries to come on that right arm, which was shattered by bullets, but she says she does not want to completely heal because she wants that to compel her to take action. Are you serious? I couldn't move at all as I processed that along with the blood that I'm coughing up. I really, it was a dead end. There's nothing else I can do. I can't get out of this situation. I'm spanning Fountain Square. I don't see anybody to save me. Four people died that day, including the gunman, Austin has started a nonprofit that will work to prevent the mentally ill from getting gunned. I'm going to be a little bit more patient. I'm going to be a little bit more patient. I'm going to be a little bit more patient. I'm going to be a little bit more patient. I'm going to be a little bit more patient. I'm going to be a little bit more patient. I'm going to be a little bit more patient. I'm going to be a little bit more patient. I'm going to be a little bit more patient. We are joined by Whitney Austin who survived a mass shooting for 3rd-tower and since the 90 back in 2018. Since then she's gone out to found Whitney strong and nonprofit dedicated to reducing gun violence. First Whitney, how are you doing? I'm okay. It's really, really hard to know that it has happened again in our city. What did you say? I said it was really hard to know that it has happened again in our city. Most importantly though, I want people to know that it's not about me. We should be sending all of our strength and prayers towards the families that have been impacted. What is the, for people not familiar with your case, shot 12 times. What is the most important thing for you? It's 24 hours after you were shot. For me, I have always found myself to be rooted in gratitude whenever things get difficult, whether it's stagnation on this issue and no change happening or change not happening as quickly as I'd like or feeling scared myself about how to put one foot in front of another. I always go back to the gratitude that I have for surviving and that I got back to my family. But as you all know, there are going to be families today that they can't go to that place of gratitude because they're loved once didn't survive. How do we, you know Whitney, we think when is enough going to be enough? What's it going to take? We were talking about how what needs to happen in order for things like this to not happen anymore. I'm so glad you asked me. You realize how stupid you sound. No, mass shootings continue to happen with increased frequency, especially in the last decade. And we have got to start to think differently about this issue. I've also asked the school board to make a part of every day some kind of anti-violence, anti-gun message, every day, every school at every level. One thing that I think is clear with young people and with adults as well is that we just have to be repetitive about this. It's not enough to simply have a catchy ad on a Monday and then only do it every Monday. We need to do this every day of the week and just really brainwash people into thinking about guns in a vastly different way. There are things that we can all do as individuals to prevent incidents of mass violence, but there is also change that needs to come at the legislative level. And in order for that latter part to happen, we have got to come together. This is not about divisiveness. This is not about guns are good, guns are bad. This is about finding where there is common ground and working together. It's difficult, but it's simple. All of us in this chamber, we need to rise to this moment. We can't turn away. Let's do what we know in our hearts that we need to do. Let's come together to finish the job on police reform. Do something. Do something. That was the plea of parents who lost their children in Evalda. I met with every one of them.