(CNN) When Chris Mintz heard gunfire at Oregon's Umpqua Community College on Thursday, his thoughts were not of himself.

Instead, he thought first of protecting others. Then he thought of his 6-year-old son, Tyrik.

When the shooting broke out, Mintz, 30, a military veteran and a former high school football player in Randleman, North Carolina, tried to save the lives of others.

"Tries to block the door to keep the gunman from coming in," his aunt, Wanda Mintz, told Fox 8, a CNN affiliate in High Point, North Carolina

"Gets shot three times," his aunt said. "Hits the floor."

"Looks up at the gunman and says, 'It's my son's birthday today,' " his aunt said.

Still, there was no mercy. The gunman shot Mintz again. It's not yet clear exactly how many more times, but both his legs are broken, said family members who talked to him by phone on his way into surgery.

"He's going to have to learn to walk again," Ariana Earnhardt, his cousin, told Fox 8 . "But he walked away with his life, and that's more than so many other people did."

Some on social media hailed Mintz's courage and encouraged people to remember him rather than the killer.

Let's all remember and say his name, not the shooter's. Thank you for your heroism, Chris Mintz. https://t.co/0qJuQ2xotL — Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) October 2, 2015

"What a example of what it means to be a American Hero," one person said on Twitter.

Chris Mintz. What a example of what it means to be a American Hero. Guys and Gals like this are true hero's pic.twitter.com/r00mHEPqWs — Goof-Bucket (@MrEd_EVH) October 2, 2015

Despite plea, gunman showed no mercy

Won't mention the COWARD in the Oregon shooting. Instead I will praise Chris Mintz, who was shot multiple times while saving others. #Hero — Derrick Levasseur (@DerrickL) October 2, 2015

Even in the hospital, riddled with bullet wounds, Mintz was thinking of others.

"When I found out he had been transferred to the hospital, I immediately tried calling him," said another cousin, Derek Bourgeois. "His ex-girlfriend was with him."

"When I asked him how he was doing," Bourgeois said, "he immediately said, 'People died,' and lost it crying."

Mintz told his cousin he had been shot five times, but the total number is not entirely clear.

"His ex-girlfriend actually corrected him while he was on the phone with me, telling him he was actually shot seven times," Bourgeois said. "He was so out of it, he didn't even know how many times he had been shot."

Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college Community members attend a candlelight vigil at Stewart Park for those killed during a shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, on Thursday, October 1. The massacre left nine people dead and nine wounded. The gunman also died. Hide Caption 1 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college In response to the shooting on October 1, President Barack Obama delivers the 15th statement of his presidency addressing gun violence. "Somehow this has become routine," he said. "The reporting is routine. My response here at this podium ends up being routine, the conversation in the aftermath of it. We've become numb to this." Hide Caption 2 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college Students and faculty are reunited with friends and family at the county fairgrounds on October 1. Hide Caption 3 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college People wait for information at the fairgrounds on October 1. Hide Caption 4 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college Hannah Miles, center, is reunited with her sister Hailey and father, Gary, on October 1. Hide Caption 5 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college A student waits to walk off a school bus at the fairgrounds on October 1. Hide Caption 6 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college Friends and family are reunited on October 1. Hide Caption 7 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college A woman is comforted after the deadly shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, on October 1. Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin announced at a news conference that the shooter was dead. Hide Caption 8 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college Authorities secure the campus after the shooting on October 1. Hide Caption 9 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college Students, staff and faculty leave the school on October 1. Hide Caption 10 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college A bullet casing is marked at the scene of the shooting on October 1. Hide Caption 11 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college People gather at a roadblock near the entrance to the college on October 1. Hide Caption 12 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college Authorities respond after reports of the shooting on October 1. Hide Caption 13 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college Police search students outside the school on October 1. Hide Caption 14 of 15 Photos: Shooting at Oregon community college A patient is wheeled into the emergency room at Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg on October 1. Hide Caption 15 of 15

Mintz was shot in the back, stomach, hands and legs, Bourgeois said. He is out of surgery and recovering, still smiling, his family told CNN on Friday evening.

Grave as Mintz's injuries are, Bourgeois -- like Mintz' other relatives -- is grateful.

"I'm just so happy that he's OK," Bourgeois said. "It could have been worse."

Earnhardt told CNN's Anderson Cooper that Mintz is "doing very well, considering the circumstances." She described him as a strong-willed person and said she was not surprised at his courage during the shooting.

According to the Army, Mintz served as an infantryman from 2004 to 2007, reaching the rank of specialist (SPC). He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

In addition to being a student, Mintz worked at the local YMCA.