MEMPHIS, Tenn. — On Tuesday, the mother of a man shot Sunday night at a Zaxby's met the good Samaritan who saved her son's life.
The victim, Jeremy, was shot inside of his car at a Zaxby's parking lot in Cordova near Houston Levee Rd. and Breezy Valley Dr. after suspects attempted a carjacking.
Jeremy is a manager at the Zaxby's, has been employed there for 10 years and was closing up for the night, according to his mother, Katina, who said he was shot three times.
Jeremy said he is recovering at a Memphis hospital. The victim's mother said her son is shaken up, but he's expected to be ok.
Katina pleaded to the public to help her find the man responsible for saving her firstborn's life. ABC24 was able to help make her wish come true.
Katina was filled with tears when she hugged the man, whom she calls her son's hero.
"For someone to just take that initiative to just say, 'Hey, I don't know what the danger may be, but I'm going to help this young man,'" Katina said. "That means everything to me and that means everything to my family."
Thomas Hill, an off-duty firefighter, said minutes after he ordered food at a nearby bar, two women came into the restaurant and screamed someone was shot. Hill said he ran across the street, found Jeremy bleeding and did what he could to save him.
"My mind just automatically was like, 'Let me get him out of this car,'" Hill said.
According to Hill, he put his training as a firefighter and time in the military to use to keep Jeremy alive.
"Control bleeding, which was the belt for the tourniquet. I didn't have any gloves, so I had somebody grab his shirt so I can just tie off the gunshot wounds to keep the direct compression on him to keep him from bleeding," he said.
Katina said her son waited for one of his employees to get off work so they could safely get home. She believes there needs to be stronger safety measures in place going forward for employees.
"I really feel like this could've been avoided if he had security there watching him close the store," she said.
On Sept. 6, the suspect in the shooting, Phedoris Thompson Jr., was arrested and charged with criminal attempt first-degree murder, attempted carjacking, aggravated assault - acting in concert and employing a firearm with the intent to commit a felony, according to Shelby County Sheriff's Office officials.
Katina said her family is demanding justice for Jeremy. Hill said he would like for law enforcement to stop allowing violent criminals to serve short jail time, which allows them to walk the streets.
"Working class people constantly being tormented and targeted for stuff that they work hard for," he said. "Y'all send them to jail for a couple of days and then they get out on bail and bond. They need to work on that."
On Tuesday, Jeremy and Hill were able to talk for the first time since the incident. Jeremy credits Hill for why he's still breathing.
"You probably made the difference in me being here and being gone because I was losing a lot of blood," Jeremy said.
Hill said he plans to visit Jeremy in the hospital sometime this week.