Chris Mintz: No, Oregon Shooting Hero Wasn’t In The Movie ‘Superbad,’ But He’s A Super Bad**s Dad
Chris Mintz might be super bada**, but he wasn’t in the movies Superbad or Kick-A**. The Oregon shooting hero is getting pleny of “McLovin” from Americans who want to thank him for trying to take down the coldblooded killer who took the lives of nine community college students, but some supporters are sending their well wishes to the wrong guy, actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
According to Us Weekly, the star who played McLovin in Superbad had to politely inform numerous Twitter users that he was not the hero who got shot seven times during the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.
“Get well soon,” one Twitter user wrote in a message directed at Christopher Mintz-Plasse. “The whole country is in your corner. Your son will never forget the unselfishness you displayed on his birthday.”
Christopher Mintz-Plasse responded to the well-wisher’s tweet by writing, “So much love for the real Chris Mintz.”
Mintz-Plasse also asked Chris Mintz’s admirers to seek out the social media accounts of the hero’s friends and family members to make sure that he would get a chance to read their kind words.
The heroic Chris Mintz who was shot yesterday is not me. All your tweets are so thoughtful and beautiful, please go find his loved ones
— Chris Mintz-Plasse (@MintzPlasse) October 2, 2015
And send the positivity his way. — Chris Mintz-Plasse (@MintzPlasse) October 2, 2015
This is so nice. Does anyone know the real Chris Mintz’ Twitter handle? https://t.co/KbWcsGYNnd
— Chris Mintz-Plasse (@MintzPlasse) October 2, 2015
CNN reports that 30-year-old Chris Mintz is a Randleman, North Carolina, native who served in the U.S. Army from 2004 to 2007. He was an infantryman who received numerous honors during his service, including the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. According to North Carolina’s Fox 8, witnesses said that Chris Mintz tried to block a door to keep gunman Chris Harper Mercer from entering the classroom he and a group of other students were trapped in during the shooting. Mintz reportedly told the gunman, “You’re not getting by me,” before he was shot multiple times. His aunt, Wanda Mintz, said that he also told the shooter, “It’s my son’s birthday today,” after he hit the floor. The gunman reportedly didn’t enter the room after seriously injuring Mintz, and he moved on to another section of the college.
According to NBC News, Chris Mintz was shot in the abdomen, hands, and back, and both of his legs were broken. Family member Sheila Brown said she’s not surprised that Mintz decided to stand up to the shooter, and she revealed that he’s a physically tough guy.
“He was on the wrestling team and and he’s done cage-fighting so it does not surprise me that he would act heroically.”
Mintz’s leg injuries are so bad that he will reportedly have to learn to walk again. The Daily Beast reports that he was a very active guy who dabbled in mixed martial arts and was enrolled in community college to become a personal trainer, so temporarily losing the use of his legs will undoubtedly be extremely challenging for him. There are multiple efforts to raise money for Mintz’s medical bills, including a GoFundMe page has raised over half a million dollars for the wounded vet, and numerous celebrities have directed their Twitter followers to a Planting Peace fundraiser on the Crowdrise website that has raised over $16 thousand.
Planting Peace is raising money for Chris Mintz, a true hero from that Godawful shooting http://t.co/1D2TC2Vwma — RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) October 2, 2015
Planting Peace is raising money for the medical needs for Chris Mintz, the hero who charged the Oregon shooter. https://t.co/RxFnrBmfAW
— Edward Norton (@EdwardNorton) October 2, 2015
#ChrisMintz was so brave in #Oregon, blocking students from the shooter. Now he needs our help recovering https://t.co/8jn3FQ8qnI #Umpqua — Sophia Bush (@SophiaBush) October 2, 2015
Chris Mintz was reportedly “alert and awake” on Friday, and he expressed his concern for other victims of the shooting during a short chat with ABC News.
“I just hope that everyone else is OK,” he said. “I’m just worried about everyone else.”
The New York Times reports that Mintz has already received offers to appear on Good Morning America and Ellen, and he was initially going to turn them down. However, he changed his mind when his ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother of his six-year-old son Tyrik, pointed out that he could use his appearances to talk about being the parent of an autistic child.
In a strange coincidence, another American hero also attended Umpqua Community College, and he became a fixture on talk shows after his heroics made headlines around the globe. According to E! News, Alek Skarlatos was also a student at the Oregon school. Earlier this year, the Army National Guard Specialist helped take down a terrorist on a train in Paris, and his hero status him score a gig as one of the celebrity dancers competing on the current season of the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars. However, Alek Skarlatos decided to ditch his dance rehearsals to head back to Roseburg.
“I was enrolled as a student at Umpqua Community College prior to my 2014 deployment to Afghanistan,” Skarlatos revealed in a statement obtained by E! News. “While I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time in August aboard a train bound for Paris, I only wish that the same could be said for today.”
Chris Mintz’s supporters can only hope and pray that he eventually recovers enough to follow in Alek Skarlatos’ heroic footsteps by scoring his own invite to compete on Dancing with the Stars.
[Featured image credits: Chris Mintz/Instagram, Michael Buckner/Getty]
