La Crosse, WI (WXOW)-- One of the shooting victims was a 2008 Winona State graduate. Carey Rottman, a Mequon native who played football at Winona, was shot in the right leg that Friday night.
His father, Dr. Dale Rottman and his wife flew from Mequon to Colorado right after the shooting. Dr. Rottman says Carey has undergone one surgery and still faces at least one more. He's looking at about a year recovery time.
But Dr. Rottman says his son is in good spirits and thankful he survived. So far he's been visited by tons of friends and family. And also the governor of Colorado, John Hickenlooper, members of the Denver Broncos and he even got a phone call from Payton Manning.
Dr. Rottman says the most special visitor came yesterday: a 17-year-old girl who came to Carey's aide after he'd been shot.
"After he got to the parking lot, four kids came and picked him up and carried him to a grassy area, and one of the girls who he met yesterday, took off her belt and put a tourniquet around his leg and compressed the bleeding," Rottman said. "Then her brother ran and got a police officer, one of the first to arrive on scene. They flagged him down and they came right to him, put him in their car and took him directly to the hospital."
The 17-year-old came to the hospital with her mother after she heard Carey wanted to meet her. Dr. Rottman says he and his wife also had the chance to meet and thank her.
Carey was married less than a month ago and his wedding was officiated by a friend. That friend was with Carey at the movie. He was shot twice but survived. Dr. Rottman says Carey's friend is at a different hospital but they have talked to him and he's doing well.
