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COLUMBUS, Ga. — An Army Paratrooper has been awarded the Soldier’s Medal for his selfless bravery that saved the lives of four others during a mass shooting that took place on the 1000 block of Broadway in June 2021.

The Soldier's Medal is our nation’s highest award for service members who perform acts of heroism that did not take place in combat.

On June 11, 2021, then-Second Lieutenant Joseph Guerra was celebrating with friends downtown after they completed a military school on then-Fort Benning (Moore). While outside, heavy gunfire erupted from the street in their direction.

Guerra — with no regard for his own safety — immediately threw another officer to the ground and jumped on top of her, using his own body as a shield to protect her from the gunfire.

When the shooting stopped and the assailant fled, three other people were left wounded.

Guerra, a former enlisted medic and combat veteran, then immediately began triaging the victims on the scene and treating their wounds until paramedics arrived. 

His actions saved the lives of no less than four people.

Guerra described the experience in an interview with WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina near Fort Liberty (Bragg) where he is currently stationed as a member of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

“I ran up,” Guerra said, “began treating my other friend inside of another establishment that they pulled him into once they found him, that he was shot. I treated him and then I was told that a woman was shot that was behind the restaurant that we were inside of. I went back there and began treating her.”

In a Department of the Army news article, Guerra is quoted saying the following about how quickly the events unfolded, showing how instinctual his actions truly were:

“Initially,” Guerra said, “I thought maybe somebody was lighting off fireworks behind us, but it wasn’t until I turned my head that I saw there was an actual muzzle flash coming out of a barrel that I knew someone was shooting at us.”

All of that life-or-death limbic decision-making occurred as fast as the shooter’s muzzle flash, which is typically about 30 milliseconds. For context, it takes about 100 milliseconds to blink your eyes.

“I just want to let people know,” Guerra said, “to take training seriously because you really don’t know when the situation is going to arise when you’re going to have to use the training.”

Guerra’s words ring of a sentiment we have touched on heavily before in the Muckraker: We all never rise to the occasion, but rather we always fall to the lowest level of our training; we fall to our default.

Thankfully, Guerra’s default was prepared, experienced, calm, rational, quick-witted, brave, and selfless. We at the Muckraker sincerely thank Guerra for his heroism and selfless service to his fellow man.

The citation for 1LT Joseph Guerra’s Soldier’s Medal, awarded at Fort Liberty (Bragg), North Carolina on August 11, 2023, reads as follows:

“For heroism, on 11 June 2021, then Second Lieutenant Guerra showed what it takes to be a Soldier, both on and off duty. His selfless bravery in shielding a fellow officer from dangerous gunfire without regard to his own life or safety epitomizes what it means to be an American Soldier. Second Lieutenant Guerra’s quick thinking and decisive action to render first aid following the horrific attack saved the life of three victims. Second Lieutenant Guerra selfless service, and willingness to expose himself to extreme personal danger reflect great credit upon him, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the United States Army.”

Guerra’s other military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with Valor, three Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, Ranger Tab, Combat Medical Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Airborne Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Recruiter Badge.

The shooter, whose name we won’t print here because it doesn’t even deserve the use of our ink, was on a two-day-long murderous spree that left five people shot. The shooter later stated to police that he was trying to kill “white military-looking males.”

Though the U.S. Attorney’s office and local District Attorney Stacey Jackson did initially express interest in charging the incident as a hate crime, both claimed the evidence did not support the charge — despite the shooter’s own admission of racial motivation during police interviews after his arrest.

The shooter recently accepted a plea deal in July and was sentenced to 30 years in state prison, with 20 to serve. 

Facts are stubborn things — and we’ll keep publishing them, whether city officials like them or not.

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