Las Vegas shooting victim: Mikkena Parry, Las Vegas

By Natalie Bruzda Las Vegas Review-Journal

7 years ago

Mikenna Parry, 19, of Las Vegas speaks during an interview from her hospital bed as her mother Stephanie looks on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Las Vegas. Perry is recovering from last Sunday’s gunshot in the left arm that then traveled to her abdomen. Bizuayehu Tesfaye Las Vegas Review-Journal @bizutesfaye

Mikenna Parry, 19, of Las Vegas smiles during an interview from her hospital bed on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, in Las Vegas. Perry is recovering from last Sunday’s gunshot in the left arm that then traveled to her abdomen. Bizuayehu Tesfaye Las Vegas Review-Journal @bizutesfaye

Mikkena Parry, 18, (center), is reunited with Ryan Guay (left) and Lynzee Freund, who helped get her to Desert Springs Hospital on Sunday after the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival. (Photo courtesy Chris Parry).

In training for the Army National Guard, Ryan Guay learned how to deal with incoming fire.

But the other part of the equation is fighting back.

“The fact that I couldn’t defend anyone, or myself … it was something that made me feel helpless,” Guay, 22, of Las Vegas told the Las Vegas Review-Journal Friday.

Guay helped save the life of 19-year-old Las Vegas resident Mikenna Parry during the Oct. 1 attack on the Route 91 Harvest festival.

Parry, a Durango High School graduate, was shot in the left arm and the abdomen when Guay and Lynzee Freund came to her aid.

“The perimeter fence got pushed down, so we had to run outside of the perimeter fence,” Guay said. “She was leaning against a brick wall. That’s when I walked up to Cash (Campbell, Parry’s boyfriend) and he said, ‘Yeah, she’s been hit.’”

Parry, who spoke from her room at Desert Springs Hospital on Friday, said Campbell’s truck, which was parked at the Monte Carlo, was too far away.

Guay’s truck was parked at Hooters Hotel, and the group helped Parry over a wall and quickly found Guay’s vehicle.

“I searched ‘hospital’ on Google maps and we were there within 15 minutes,” Guay said, adding that the first ambulance to appear from the shooting’s aftermath was about five to 10 minutes behind.

The four exchanged phone numbers so that they could all stay in touch.

One surgery and several days of recovery later, Parry was reunited with her rescuers.

“It was good to see her smile,” Guay said.

Parry said she had a few bad days, but by Friday morning, it was becoming easier to get out of bed and walk around. She returned home on Saturday.

She’s looking forward to getting back to some of her favorite activities, which include dance, cheer and snowboarding.

“I’m just glad she’s OK,” her mom, Stephanie Parry, said as she stifled her tears. “We’re all sad for the people who aren’t here anymore. It’s so horrible that we’re all having to go through this.”

Contact Natalie Bruzda at nbruzda@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3897. Follow @NatalieBruzda on Twitter.