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By Michael Lopez

Arizona suffered an unspeakable tragedy Saturday when Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and a number of bystanders were shot at a public meeting in a Safeway parking lot in Tucson. But the tragic event that left six innocent people dead, including a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl, and 14 others wounded also spurred tremendous acts of heroism.

Giffords' newest unpaid intern, Daniel Hernandez, who had only worked for the congresswoman for five days before the mass shooting, is one such hero. As soon as Giffords was shot, Hernandez immediately rushed to her side to tend to her wound and elevate her head — while bullets were still being fired. His quick thinking and bravery played a major role in saving the Democratic lawmaker's life, and serves as a great example of selflessness and courage.

"It was probably not the best idea to run toward the gunshots," Daniel told AZ Central, "but people needed help."

The accused gunman, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, shot Giffords in the head at close range while she spoke to constituents at a "Congress on Your Corner" event, then opened fire on the crowd, according to witnesses and police. Though his motives were not entirely clear, it is believed that he held a longstanding grudge against the congresswoman. He was arrested at the scene and now faces multiple counts of murder and attempted murder for the mass shooting.

Hernandez stayed with Giffords throughout the entire ordeal, cradling her head until help arrived. When it was over, Daniel accompanied her on the ambulance ride to the hospital, holding her hand and providing essential details to paramedics. He told ABC News that he tried his best to keep Gabrielle alert by saying things like, “just grab my hand to let me know that you’re okay.”

It will be a difficult journey back, but Gabrielle is expected to recover from her injuries thanks, in part, to the bravery of Daniel Hernandez, a 20-year-old Mexican-American University of Arizona student who is openly gay and serves on Tucson's city commission on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.

"I look at the true heroism of Congresswoman Giffords, [District Manager] Ron Barber, [Community Outreach Coordinator] Gabe Zimmerman, who lost his life, and Pam Simon who was wounded," Hernandez told reporters. "Those are the real heroes — true public servants who spent their whole lives helping others."

Who are the heroes in your community? Tell us about them in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags arizona, Daniel Hernandez, Gabrielle Giffords, Health, Jared Lee Loughner, Politics, Tucson, Tucson massacre