Who is Matthew Cobos? Soldier Hailed For Shielding Woman During Vegas Shooting

A mass shooting incident in Las Vegas carried out by a lone wolf — identified as 64-year-old white male Stephen Paddock — that killed more than 50 people and left more than 500 people injured, who were attending a musical concert, has shocked the entire world.

Despite the tragedy that unfolded following the shooting incident, America found its heroes in various people including Matthew Cobos, a soldier in the United States Army, who laid on top of a woman to shield her from the onslaught of bullets. The U.S. Army, on their official Twitter account, identified the man as Matthew Cobos, calling him the “epitome of the American soldier."

According to his Facebook account, Cobos is a Cavalry Scout (19D) at the U.S. Army living in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The picture first surfaced on the Daily Mail after a photographer, David Becker, who was covering the event Route 91 Harvest music festival captured Cobos and the unidentified woman while chronicling the heartrending massacre.

Speaking to CNN, Becker, who was working for Getty Images, said, “A man shielded a woman with his body before I saw them both get up and run away." Cobos wasn’t identified as a soldier until then.

Daily Mail also reported that apart from protecting the woman, Cobos also shielded the woman's eyes in order to keep her from witnessing the bloodshed around them.

One of the friends of Cobos and an army veteran himself, Austin Lamitina, shared the picture on Facebook and wrote that he was proud of his fellow veteran, who he had the pleasure of sharing the same platoon with. He also wrote, “Matthew Cobos you’re the epitome of what it means to uphold the Army Values.”

Reports in Maxim suggested that his heroism did not end there as Cobos, after saving the woman’s life, was seen returning back to the line of fire, where he assisted people with first-aid and used his belt as a tourniquet in an attempt to stop blood oozing out of bullet holes.

Ever since the U.S. Army identified him, social media has been flooded with messages for the soldier, lauding his bravery. “The picture that has gone viral of your heroism is awesome. Shows your bravery and compassion. Thank you! Thank you for your service as well," a woman named Cristine Davenport wrote in the comments section of a post shared by Cobos.

Another user, by the name Angela Gibson, wrote, “Thank you for your service, your courage under fire, your compassion, your selfless act. Your story is a beacon in a dark time. Stay safe, young man".

Both Cabos and the unidentified woman are safe, reports said. In the wake of the terror attack that gripped the world, Cobos wasn’t the only hero that emerged. A man identified as Jesus Campos, an unarmed security guard at the Mandalay Bay, also demonstrated bravery when he approached Paddock’s room. Despite being shot in the leg by Paddock, Campos continued helping police clear hotel rooms to keep others safe.