8-Year-Old Awarded For Saving Father's Life During Shooting Spree
PLACER COUNTY (CBS13) — A Newcastle girl is getting a major award after helping save her father's life.
"It makes me feel good that I did something great," said Isabel Pierce.
Last month, a shooter went on a rampage killing an elderly woman and shooting her father. It was a tragedy that marked seven crime scenes through Placer County.
A K9 officer was also struck after a wild pursuit with police, but what also came out of that terrible night was the strength from Isabel.
"I feel better, I mean, I'm not scared anymore," she said.
At about 4 feet tall and in the third grade, Isabel is already being hailed as a hero.
"She's a good girl. I'm proud of her," her father Brian Pierce said.
READ ALSO: 8-Year-Old Compresses Dad's Gunshot Wound, Saving Life In Placer County Shooting Spree
A shot was fired into Brian Pierce's truck striking him in the chest.
"I said, 'I'm hurt, but I'll be ok and I need you to hold this here,' and I had a sweatband from the gym and I put here and she just held it on tight," Brian said.
"I knew that if I wasn't focused that it wouldn't be good, so I knew that I had to be focused in order to do what had to be done," Isabel said.
She held the cloth tight while the two safely drove to a nearby fire station.
"I was really, really scared. I wasn't sure what had happened," she said.
Amongst so much courage, Isabel says prayer got them through it.
"I said is everything going to be all right? Is my going to be ok? Is everything going to work out right? And then I felt like someone telling me or a small voice saying yeah everything will be fine," she said.
READ: Placer Sheriff K9 Eros, Who Was Injured In Shooting Spree, To Be Honored In Loomis
Investigators still don't know why the shooter, Stanley Stepanski, went on that shooting spree, but Brian says it has forever changed his life.
"Everything's been going pretty good and then you get shot and he can't help but look at life differently," Brian said.
The father of six says no matter what, he was going to make it back to his family.
"My oldest is 13 and my youngest is five months, it would be pretty horrible not to be able to come home," Brian said.
A harrowing tale from a horrific tragedy, he's says he's lucky to be alive.
Isabel will receive that special award from the Placer County sheriff's office on Monday.
