'What's It Like Being Shot At?': Colorado Man Killed In Las Vegas

By Tom Mustin

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - Christopher Roybal had recently come to Colorado to start a new life.

The 28 year old served with the Navy in Afghanistan, a place he described as "the deadliest place on earth."

Roybal's life ended Sunday, along with 58 others at a concert in Las Vegas.

Roybal's girlfriend lives in Aurora. Her neighbor is still stunned by the death of Roybal.

"Very sad. Sad. Angry," said Paula Svendsen.

"He's a very kind person. Very helpful. Helps anybody in the neighborhood," Svendsen told CBS4's Tom Mustin.

In one of Roybal's final Facebook posts, he responded to the question "what's it like to be shot at?"

"I knew it. He would never have not called me," his mother, Debby Allen, told KLAS-TV in Las Vegas.

Allen had planned the trip to Vegas with her son to celebrate his upcoming 29th birthday.

They had just taken a picture together before the show started, but then were separated when gunfire erupted.

"I was trying to run towards wherever I thought he might be, but this man wouldn't let me, " said Allen, "He kept pulling me away, saying you can't run towards the gunfire."

Allen called her son's death the saddest day of her life.

Roybal had moved to Colorado from California in January to manage a Crush Fitness center in Colorado Springs.

His boss, David Harman, described him as "'a son, mentor, friend, and hero."

Svendsen says one of her lasting memories is of Royball clearing snow from her driveway.

A selfless act from a hero gone far too soon.

"He helped everybody. I just feel sorry for the family across the street. I don't know what they're going to do without him," said Svendsen.

LINK: GoFundMe Page For Christopher Roybal's Family

Tom Mustin is CBS4's Weekend Anchor. He has been with CBS4 since 2002, and is always looking for great story ideas. Connect with Tom on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @TomCBS4.