No greater love.(THE GOODNESS OF AMERICA)(Jerry Avant Jr., the hero nurse who died on a shooting incident)

The March 29, 2009 shooting rampage by Robert Stewart at the Pinelake Health and Rehab Center in Carthage, N.C., in which seven patients were gunned down, was a terrible tragedy. But within the context of that tragedy comes the heroic story of Jerry Avant, Jr., the nurse who was also killed that fateful day while shielding others from the gunfire.

The father of the 39-year-old male nurse told CBS News that the doctor who tried to save his son had hailed him a hero, saying he "saved a lot of lives before he went down, because he counted, himself, 27 bullet holes."

In an interview on the ADVANCE newsmagazine website, Jerry's good friend and coworker James Powers stated that, though it seems from previous news accounts that Jerry was shot 27 times, he was actually only shot four times, but with a shotgun that created multiple wounds.

Not that that fact in any way diminishes the heroic and selfless manner in which Avant behaved. According to Powers, Avant first called 911--within sight of the gunman--and then made an announcement on the PA system, warning people in the center about the danger and instructing them to take cover. Rather than hiding to protect himself at that point, as he could easily have done, Jerry first pushed all the residents that were exposed into a secure area. Then he ran down the hall from room to room, ensuring that as many patients as ...