LEOMINSTER, Mass. — Fifteen months before Las Vegas, it happened in Orlando.
There 49 lives lost in the Pulse Nightclub shooting. Dozens more people were wounded, Including Massachusetts-native Jeff Xavier.
“My heart started racing. I started sweating, my palms were sweaty just looking at all that stuff, it does strike a chord with you,” Xavier told Boston 25 News about seeing the events in Vegas.
He was shot four times during the attack at Pulse Nightclub.
Xavier nearly bled to death on a bathroom floor. He spent months in the hospital with wounds to his shoulder, chest and legs.
“I smell the gun powder as I sat there watching these videos. I felt my skin crawl as I heard the sounds, because I know what it feels like, I know what it's like to be in that situation,” said Xavier.
The shooter in Las Vegas and the shooter in Orlando had at least one thing in common. They both purchased the weapons they used legally
“I believe every American has a right to arm themselves and defend themselves, however do I believe military grade weapons should be available to the general public, like you and I? absolutely not,” Xavier said.
When he was in the hospital, several Boston Marathon bombing victims visited him and it lifted his spirits. He said he would like to travel to Vegas to do the same thing.
“I don't like to sound cliché; it's going to get better, it's the truth. It's going to get better. It doesn’t make it any easier, it's not going to be easy, but it is going to get better,” Xavier said.
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