California shooting survivor: "No one would help me"

RANCHO TEHEMA, Calif. (KCRA) – A mother is recovering at a Chico, California hospital after she was shot five times while shielding her children during the Tehama County shooting rampage.

Tiffany Phommathep was shot by 44-year-old Kevin Neal Tuesday morning while she was dropping her children off at school. Phommathep threw her body on her 10-year-old son who was sitting in the passenger seat.

“I just kept on praying that he’d go away because I can’t take another bullet. I knew I wouldn’t make it,” Phommathep said.

The 31-year-old mother of four was shot four times in her back, left shoulder and once in the hip. One bullet is still in her gut.

All three children in the car were injured in the shooting. They were treated at the hospital and have since been released.

Phommathep thought she was going to die as she frantically drove around asking people for help. She was bleeding and losing consciousness.

“Found some more strength to open my window, my door and I hopped out to her and asked her, ‘Can you help? I’m shot, I’m dying, and my kids are in the car.’ She said she couldn’t help me because she only had a two-seater and she was late for work,” Phommathep said. “That hurt my heart a lot to hear her say that.”