Blood drive held in honor of Zieglerville hero who was shot saving co-worker from gunman in 2022

Travis Reiter’s life nearly ended on December 15, 2022, due to an act of bravery.

The Zieglerville resident had only been at work at his Wyomissing, Berks County, digestive health center for a mere 90 minutes when there was trouble in the parking lot.

Reiter, 34, knew a female colleague had been have issues with a suspected stalker, whose car looked awfully like the one that his coworker was standing next to, as she was talking to a man.

Without thinking, Reiter went to the parking lot to come to the aid of his co-worker.

That was when the man pulled out a gun and pointed it at the woman.

Reiter charged, fought with the gunman, and was ultimately shot in the left chest. The bullet tore an intercostal artery and he began hemorrhaging internally, losing five liters of blood.

“It felt like getting hit with a jackhammer,” he told the Daily Local News.

The gunman then committed suicide in the parking lot.

Emergency personnel rushed Reiter to Reading Hospital.

To replace what he lost, Reiter required 23 bags of blood.

In the end, surgery saved his life and he was discharged before Christmas and on the road to physical therapy.

 “I’m not a hero. I just stepped into a bad situation. The staff at the hospital are the heroes," Reiter told the media.

If it wasn’t for people generously donating during blood drives, Reiter’s story could have had a very different outcome.

Last Thursday, Miler-Keystone Blood Center held a Travis Reiter Blood Drive at the Lower Frederick Township building. Check out photos from the event below

    By James Short