A woman who was shot by officers in a standoff after she was held hostage by her ex-boyfriend at gunpoint spoke out Sunday as a community rallied together to support her in a fundraiser in San Bernardino.
Kristin Bauer, 28, was recovering from her injuries after she was shot four times on March 24. Her ex-boyfriend, Andrew Mike, 29, came to the store where she worked and took her hostage after Bauer ended the relationship.
Mike held Bauer for over two hours, negotiating with police in a standoff. He suddenly pulled her back as a shield, causing police to fire 25 rounds, killing Mike and injuring Bauer.
At that moment, Bauer thought she was going to die.
"When I got hit, I knew I got hit because I felt it, and it was the worst pain I ever felt," she said.
Bauer is alive and well, and celebrated with a community that surrounded her with support in a fundraiser held in her honor.
Bauer said she never thought her ex-boyfriend was capable of doing something like this.
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"Honestly, he was a good guy ever since we were dating," she said. "I have no hard feelings towards him."
Police said Mike had gone into an Office Depot in Redlands where Bauer worked, and fired one shot that injured an innocent bystander. Then took his ex-girlfriend hostage.
"I was scared and I tried to run, we all tried to run and then I went along with what he was saying because I was scared for my life," Bauer said.
At gunpoint, Mike took Bauer hostage, and officers found them about a block away from the Office Depot. Mike threatened to kill Bauer numerous times, police said.
"As soon as I heard the shots, I was like, this is it, this is the end," she said.
Bauer said she remembered getting up to run, blacking out and then waking up in the hospital.
Bauer still has another surgery ahead, but she's hoping to get back to work soon — back to the same place she was taken hostage.
"I'm not going to let this affect my life," she said. "I'm going to go on and go back to work and be the same person I used to be."
