Paralyzed student searches for Good Samaritan who pushed her home during UNLV shooting
Dec 11, 2023, 4:09 PM | Updated: 4:10 pm
In the midst of Wednesday's shooting at UNLV, one student found herself in a particularly challenging situation. Junior Natalie Matarazzo, who was in front of Beam Hall when the shooting started, shared her terrifying experience and how a compassionate stranger came to her rescue. (KTNV)
(KTNV)
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In the midst of Wednesday’s shooting at UNLV, one student found herself in a particularly challenging situation.
Junior Natalie Matarazzo, who was in front of Beam Hall when the shooting started, shared her terrifying experience and how a compassionate stranger came to her rescue.
“I was terrified. I wanted to freeze. I had no idea what was going on. I was frozen for quite some time in this spot,” Matarazzo said.
Despite being near the epicenter of the chaos, Natalie faced an additional obstacle — she’s paralyzed from the waist down due to a car accident in 2020.
“I can’t run, I can’t hide, and I cannot fight. So that was really scary because I didn’t know what was going on,” she said.
Realizing the need to evacuate, Matarazzo, with limited mobility, tried her best to move away from danger. That’s when a stranger, a Good Samaritan, approached her with an offer of assistance.
“I turned around just to see what was going on behind me for a quick second. This girl came up, and she said, ‘Do you want me to push you?’ I said, ‘Yes, please, I have no idea what is going on. I just need to get out of here as soon as possible,'” Matarazzo said.
The compassionate stranger pushed Natalie for about a mile, eventually dropping her off at her apartment building. In the chaos and gratitude, Matarazzo lost sight of her rescuer within the sea of people.
Now, she’s expressing her heartfelt gratitude, hoping that the anonymous helper might come forward.
“The fact that this random stranger decided she was going to help me one day — I don’t have any other words to say other than it meant a lot,” Matarazzo said.
If you have any information about the good Samaritan who assisted Natalie, please reach out to our reporter, Isabella Martin, at Isabella.martin@ktnv.com. Let’s unite these two individuals and celebrate the compassion that shines even in the face of tragedy.
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