Family of Sixth Street shooting victim thanks first responders

AUSTIN, Texas - The family of Sixth Street shooting victim Doug Kantor shared a statement with FOX 7 Austin thanking the first responders who tried to save the 25-year-old Michigan man’s life.

The statement shared exclusively with FOX 7 Austin reads:

"The Kantor family would just like to express our gratefulness in the way this tragedy was handled from the moment the shots rang out to the moment of Doug's passing. Shortly after the shots rang out my brother, still running away from the shooting, ran into Officer [Jaime] Bryans. Officer Bryans helped escort my brother safely out of harms way around the corner where he instructed my brother to lay down so that he could tend to his injuries where he was joined by Officer [Thomas] Tuminelli and McMorrow. They quickly realized that Doug's injuries were much too serious to wait for ambulances that [they] would not be able to get through the barriers. After securing the bandages as best as they could, they rushed him into the squad car and drove him to the hospital within three minutes of the incident. He was met by surgeon [Melanie] Bobbs who had him in the operating room in under two minutes. The surgical team did everything they possibly could to stop the bleeding and stabilize Doug, the magnitude of the wound was so severe that they could only attempt to stop the bleeding and wait for it to clot before they could actually start to repair the wounds. this continued from the moment Doug arrived at the hospital to the moment passed. The staff at the hospital worked tirelessly around the clock for upwards of 30 hours until all the techniques and resources available were exhausted. They were very compassionate and very committed to both us as the family and Doug. Words cannot describe the closure and peace that it brings us, to know how well it was handled despite its tragic characteristics as a family who was 1000 miles away we can say with confidence that both the police and the hospital are the only reason Doug was alive when we landed in Texas and that we were able to say goodbye to our beloved brother, son and future fiancé."

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Douglas Kantor was in Austin visiting friends when he was fatally shot in the popular nightlife district.

Kantor was originally from Airmont, New York, according to his family. He had been living in Michigan, having completed a bachelor's degree at Michigan State in computer engineering. He went on to receive a master’s degree in business and recently purchased his first house. He worked as a product manager at Ford Motor Company.

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In a statement, his family told FOX 7 Austin "...he was looking forward to marrying his high school sweetheart of ten years and starting a family. He was loved by all who knew him and had an infectious smile that would light up any room. He was loved by his family, friends and everyone who met him. This senseless tragedy has put an end to all his dreams."

13 other people were injured in the mass shooting on Sixth Street Saturday morning. Court documents obtained by FOX 7 Austin Wednesday indicate the shooting may have started as a dispute between rival groups of teenagers.