Former IDF soldiers aided Gaslamp Quarter wounded

Updated April 26th with victims’ names

By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO – The bystander credited with saving a wounded man’s life following Thursday night’s Gaslamp Quarter attacks said modestly on Saturday that he deserves only half the credit.  “My friend also helped,” said Shai Gino, 28, a former captain in the Israel Defense Force now married to an American and studying for U.S. citizenship.  His friend, who served in a “special unit” of the IDF, is Dvir Benesh, 26.

Gino said they were standing outside a pizza place in the Gaslamp Quarter when the alleged assailant, identified by police as Travis Fereydoun Sarreshteh, 32, approached, yelling for people “to get out of his way.”  Unknown to them at the time,  Justice Boldin, 28, an ACE Parking valet had been fatally shot a few minutes earlier, and two other persons wounded as the gunman had made his way toward them. Two out-of-state visitors hearing the suspect “started laughing” and the gunman said something to the effect of “no one laughs at me” and opened fire, according to Gino. According to police, the gunman’s weapon was a 9 mm “ghost gun” without a serial number that had been assembled from a kit.

“When we saw him starting shooting, we took a few steps back and got down, and when it stopped, we heard a guy screaming that he got shot.  The second we saw that, we jumped to him and gave him first aid, and as they said we saved his life.”

“He had one shot to his chest, under his heart, on the left side and one on his right arm.  I put pressure on his arm to stop the bleeding and my friend and I put pressure on his chest also to stop the bleeding.”  They observed that both bullets had gone through the victim’s body.  “There were in-holes and an out-holes,” said Gino, “so we knew he would be okay.  We got a towel and tied it to stop the bleeding and we were talking to him in order to keep him conscious.  We gave him instructions how to act.  Dvir asked him questions and I was on the phone with 9-1-1 in the meantime, telling them where the suspect was walking and telling them about the condition of the victims.  After five minutes, the police came and replaced us with the first aid.”  The victim, identified as Vincent Gazzani, 27, of Perrineville, New Jersey, subsequently was taken to the hospital, where he was expected to recover.

The other three persons wounded were Alexander Balis, 26, of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, and Jatil Kodati, 28, of Jersey City, New Jersey, both of whom were shot in their arms; and Steven Ely, 68, of San Diego who suffered a gunshot to his torso.

While the two Israelis were rendering first aid, the suspect was tackled by bystanders, including Matthew McKeon and former Navy SeaBee Justin Larrabee,  and wrestled to the ground where he was held until police arrived.  Still struggling as police tried to take him into custody, the suspect was tasered and arrested, according to San Diego Police Chief Dave Nisleit.

Without mentioning Gino or Benesh by name, Nisleit told a news conference that a former combat medic had “saved that man’s life.”

In the IDF, “I gave lessons in first aid for my soldiers,” Gino said.  “I was a company commander in the paratrooper unit” with 100 soldiers under his command.  “I learned more than just first aid but I never got the ‘medic’ title.  I said I was a medic there (at the Gaslamp Quarter) because I knew what to do so I told the people there to move back and let me do my thing.”

Gino is from Metula, located in the finger of Israel near Lebanon and Benesh is from Netanya on Israel’s Mediterranean coast.  Both are in the process of becoming citizens while working at construction for Forever Builder in Kearny Mesa. Benesh has a sideline as a disc jockey.

Gino said he knows that Gazzani’s family has arrived in San Diego from New Jersey. He expressed hope that he and Dvir would be able to see him soon and see that he is okay.  Police reported that Gazzani and Ely are in stable condition while Balis and Kodati have been treated for their injuries and released.

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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World.  He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com