LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE 3) – The Louisville woman shot 12 times during Thursday’s mass shooting at a downtown Cincinnati building has released a statement.
Omar Enrique Santa Perez, 29, shot three people dead before he was killed during the morning rampage at Fountain Square. He was killed by police.
WAVE 3 reports that one of the surviving victims is Whitney Austin of Louisville. Despite being struck twelve times, Austin is able to communicate and only suffered some broken bones.
None of her organs were hit.
Austin is recovering at a hospital in Cincinnati. Her family released a statement:
Whitney Austin is in stable condition and recovering at UC Medical Center.
Her husband of 12 years, Waller, said Whitney is in good spirits and is a fighter.
Whitney, a senior product manager for digital lending is based in Louisville and had driven to Cincinnati on Thursday for a meeting. She was on a conference call as she walked into the Fifth Third Center lobby revolving doors, directly into the shooting Thursday morning.
She said she is especially grateful to the two police officers on Fountain Square who rushed to her aid and carried her out of the line of fire after she was shot.
“I’m still processing the events from yesterday, the impact to the victims, to me and the community. And I’m thinking about how I can make a difference in the future.”
“I’m so thankful to the paramedics and first responders and the doctors, nurses and staff at UC Medical,” she said.
Whitney earned an MBA from the University of Louisville while working for Fifth Third Bank, where she has worked since receiving her bachelors degree also from UofL in 2003.
“Our family has been overwhelmed by the support we have received from coworkers, family, friends, and total strangers.”
“We are so grateful that people want to help and do something,” said the mother of two children, 7 and 5. Her family is preparing their next steps and will let people know soon how they may help.
