Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL: Liroy Alex, a 28-year-old man from Chicago, was on vacation in Israel when Hamas launched an attack on the country on October 7.
He reportedly attended the ill-fated Israeli Supernova music festival and recently spoke to the Daily Mail about the horrifying ordeal.
Alex revealed how he survived 13 hours of hell after being shot twice by Hamas militants during the conflict.
The Chicago man and his friends were enjoying the event when armed forces descended from the sky after paragliding over the Israeli border.
Alex said he did not initially realize the situation and joked with friends about event organizers blowing up fireworks.
According to CNN, at least 1400 people died during Hamas' attack on Israel, with the death toll of deceased US citizens rising to 30, at the time this article was written.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that around 2,750 people were killed and above 9,700 were wounded in Israel's retaliatory strike in Palestine, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Liroy Alex ran for life after hearing gunshots
Alex reportedly works as a locksmith in the US and went on vacation in Israel before Hamas' attack on the country that led to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, according to the Daily Mail.
Alex joined at least 3,000 partygoers at the Supernova Festival in Israel alongside his friend Eliad Shemesh and the latter's girlfriend, ahead of Hamas' attack.
Speaking about the beginning of the ordeal, Alex said, "I could hear loud bangs in the area and at first we were joking that they took care of fireworks for us."
"But then they stopped the music to tell us of a rocket attack, which is not unusual for the south of Israel," he stated.
Alex was compelled to run for his life when he realized the situation was serious after hearing gunshots ringing out across the festival site, where more than 260 died.
How did Liroy Alex survive 13 hours of hell?
Alex and his two friends initially managed to reach their vehicle and hide inside after leaving the festival site. "We got to our car and found our route to be empty, despite hundreds leaving at the same time," he shared.
"We noticed in the distance a group of about 20 bikes zig-zagging across the road, holding guns on their shoulder," Alex told the Daily Mail.
"At first we didn't know what it was. The girl who was with us started freaking out but I told her to relax telling her nothing would happen"
Alex continued to drive the vehicle as the trio attempted to escape. "As we slowed down, we saw another biker being hit. That's when I decided to turn around and they [the terrorists] started shooting at our car," he recalled.
"That was when another roadblock suddenly appeared," Alex said, before sharing how their vehicle was hit by gunfire and left with shattering windows, which sent pieces of glass into his eyes.
"We had no idea what was going on. As we drove past we were shot at. Everything exploded, the glass went everywhere," he remembered.
Alex and his friends decided to drive across nearby fields but faced a string of gunfire. The locksmith was shot in his lower back twice while his friend's girlfriend was also hit by a bullet and suffered a punctured lung.
The trio failed to go further after being shot and stopped at what appeared to be a construction site. They then decided to contact emergency services.
"We tried to save the girl. We didn't know who was shooting at us because we didn't understand the whole situation that was going on," Alex said.
"We just saw two groups and thought it was Arabs living in the desert who decided to make a mess," he added.
"We called police, ambulances, friends - we sent out our location- but it took three hours before we realized nobody was coming," Alex continued.
While Alex and his friends waited in the vehicle, his friend's girlfriend reportedly died from her injuries.
He said that his friend was so shocked that he continued to request an ambulance on call despite the woman being already dead.
"Over the phone, my friends told me that it was a war zone. We could hear bombs and shooting everywhere. Our friends told us to try and find a way to survive this - good luck!" Alex recalled.
Despite facing a critical situation, Alex continued to film the scene. He recorded himself as he lay on the ground with blood dripping from his face and running along his tattooed arms.
Alex and his friends were eventually found by soldiers, 13 hours after the beginning of the firing.
Where is Liroy Alex now?
Alex is currently recovering in a hospital in Israel and underwent several operations to treat his serious injuries, the Daily Mail reported.
Doctors reportedly handed Alex the bullets that struck his hip and back and told him he was lucky for being able to walk despite being hit close to his spine.
Alex has also lost sight in his left eye and is unsure if he will ever recover completely.
He is reportedly being helped and looked after by family members in Israel despite being 5,000 miles from home.
Alex told the outlet that he hopes to return to his hometown of Chicago in the coming weeks.
