A brave dad who was wounded after he saved his three young kids from a gunman has now lost both his jobs due to the injuries he sustained.
Anthony Jefferson, 39, heroically took a bullet in his thigh after gunfire erupted at a car dealership in New York City.
He was at the On The Road Automative car showroom in the Bronx shopping for a new car to surprise his wife Danica for her birthday.
Footage from the scene shows him thinking on his feet, immediately dropping to the floor to save his three children.
Anthony has thankfully been discharged from hospital and is on the mend, but he’s lsot both of his jobs. His kids are, understandably, still in shock.
TMZ reported that wife Danica said he can’t walk and so has been fired from his job as a painter and a construction worker.
The New York Post reported that when she first saw the video, Danica couldn’t help but burst into tears.
She said: “And I cried every time, just to know that my children were involved and it could’ve went way worse. I definitely appreciate him, his act in which he did to protect our children.
“The kids are not here right now, I have them with relatives wrapping their heads around it. Mr Jefferson is with his aunt recovering. He’s on some pain medication.
“As a mom I’m just trying to make sure [the kids are] all right. We go about our business, take care of our kids, that’s it.”
A friend of Anthony has now started a GoFundMe to help the family.
The crowdfunder says: “Hello, I am Serena Wingate, a close friend of Anthony Jefferson. On 21 September at approximately 7.20pm, he was inside of 4077 Boston Rd in the Bronx with his three kids shopping for a vehicle to surprise his wife as her birthday gift, when three suspects fired multiple shots at a male who then returned fire, striking Anthony Jefferson three times, twice in his boot and once in his thigh as he was attempting to shield his three kids from the gunfire.
“As he shielded his kids, the three suspects continued to shoot. Due to his injury, Anthony lost his job and has to have surgery to remove the bullet. This GoFundMe is to help this heroic dad with his medical bills and his kids with therapy. They are beyond traumatised.”
