Police said she was able to describe the car and identified the suspect as Jason Dalton, who has now been charged with six counts of murder

survived and has since been in and out of surgery

She was shot several times as a result, but

The first victim of the Uber gunman threw herself in front of children when the gunman opened fire and gave police crucial information to track him down.

Tiana Carruthers was outside her Kalamazoo, Michigan, apartment with several youngsters on a playground at around 5:00pm on Saturday when the suspect, who's been named as Jason Dalton, pulled up in his Chevrolet.

Sensing trouble, the mother put herself between the attacker and the children, and was shot multiple times as a result, but survived and was able to give the police vital evidence that helped them catch the suspected killer.

Scroll down for video

Tiana Carruthers, the first victim of the Kalamazoo shooting spree, jumped in front of children when the gunman opened fire and helped authorities track him down

Joi Coleman, 12, and sister Megan were two of the children she saved. Joi was holding Carruthers' hand when Dalton started firing.

Her actions meant the pair were able to get inside one of the houses and call 911.

Travis Gettys and Devin Fletter, who live next door to Coleman's, told WWMT they saw Dalton earlier in the day talking to children in the neighborhood just an hour before the shooting.

One person said he asked where 'Mazy' was, leading some to believe he was looking for someone specific.

When police arrived at her family's home after the shooting, they found 10 shell casings on the floor around Carruthers.

According to MLive, Carruthers was able to give deputies a description of the man who shot her at the scene.

She also said the man, matching Dalton's description, drove away in a silver sport-utility vehicle.

Other witnesses later told deputies the vehicle was either a Chevrolet Equinox.

Kalamazoo County sheriff's Detective Sgt. William Sparrow said that deputies later learned that the vehicle involved in a crash after leaving the Meadows Townh after it sideswiped another vehicle at the intersection of Gull Road and East G Avenue.

When she was shown a police lineup after the shooting, Sparrow said Carruthers identified Dalton as the man who shot her.

Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller says her actions saved the lives of several children.

Fuller told The Associated Press on Monday the woman has had surgeries and is improving but has a long road to recovery.

She was one of eight people allegedly shot by Dalton on Saturday night. A 14-year-old girl, only identified as A.K in court documents, is fighting for her life.

Dalton appeared in court for the first time on Monday and was charged with six counts of muder

A map shows how the Kalamazoo shooting unfolded, starting with Carruthers, who was shot several times near her home in Meadows Townhomes (top)

Doctors initially thought the teenager was dead, and had prepared her body to be harvested for organs, but she showed signs of life by squeezing her mother's hand.

The attacks began at an apartment block where Dalton allegedly shot at Tiana Carruthers.

Officials said she jumped in front of her children and managed to save them, and then gave the police crucial information that helped track Dalton down.

Dalton is then said to have driven to a Cracker Barrel and opened fire in the parking lot, killing Mary Lou Nye, 63, Mary Jo Nye, 60, Dorothy Brown, 74, and Barbara Hawthorne, 68, as they sat inside a car.

A bullet also hit a 14-year-old girl, who was clinging to life on Monday afternoon.

He is then accused of heading to the parking lot of the Seelye Kia car dealership, where he gunned down high school senior Tyler Smith and his father Rich Smith.

Tyler's girlfriend was sitting in the car when the pair were killed.

Five hours after the rampage began, he surrendered to police without a struggle.

Dalton appeared in court for the first time on Monday to face 16 charges, including six of murder and two of attempted murder.

He said very little during his appearance, but prosecutors said he admitted to the killings when he was interviewed by police after his arrest.

Sisters-in-law Mary Jo Nye, 60, (left) and Mary Lou Nye, 63, (right) were killed during the shooting spree

Barbara Hawthorne (left), 68, and Dorothy Brown (right), 70, were also identified as victims of the rampage. None of those shot and killed are believed to have known Dalton

Tyler Smith, 17,(right) was killed in the parking lot of Seelye Kia, along with his father, Rich (left), while they were looking at cars, multiple reports suggest