Two Teachers Hailed As Heroes In Louisiana Shooting

Teachers Jena Meaux and Ali Martin survived the attack, but both reportedly suffered gunshot wounds.

Two teachers who were inside the movie theater during the Louisiana theater shooting on Thursday night are now being hailed as heroes.

CBS News spoke to one of the teacher’s former colleagues, Cammie Maturin.

Authorities were trying to determine if the suspect knew any of his victims, Craft said. Ali even knew where the fire alarm was. “She had the presence of mind to think, alright, even though she was shot in the leg, she saved other people”.

The account of heroism comes in the wake of the shooting at the Grand 16 Theater, which left three people, including the gunman dead and nine others wounded. “A lot of folks in that situation would just be thinking about themselves”. She says their heroic actions in the tragedy come as no surprise as Meaux has always shown how much she cared for people around her.

Meaux’s son, Drake, wrote on Facebook that “

momma is ok, no bone damage and no artery damage, just a soft tissue wound she should be fine doc says.”

She was shot herself but jumped over her friend and managed to pull the fire alarm to alert the others to the crisis. “Couple of teachers at a movie together, one of the teachers literally jumped on top of the other – may have saved her life”. As of Friday morning, the campaign had attracted more than $8,000 in donations.

A fund to help the teachers cover their medical costs and the recovery that will follow has been set up by the Iberia Parish Association of Educators in partnership with the Louisiana Association of Educators through Go Fund Me: http://www.gofundme.com/9s2j4cyd2j.

“She’s very courageous, she puts others before her all the time”. We saw that in the Newtown, Conn., massacre and again last night in Lafayette.

Maturin previously taught with both women at Jeanerette Senior High and is now an elementary teacher in Iberia Parish.

“They went into action when they sensed there was danger”, he told the Daily News. Two died at the scene, including the gunman, and the third in a hospital, Police Chief Jim Kraft said. LEE CELANO/REUTERS A member of the police (Front) stands outside a movie theater where a man opened fire inside a crowded movie theater on Thursday night.