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Marine who rescued 1 October victims creates special tattoo memorial

Posted at 12:06 AM, Sep 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-20 17:42:09-04

A San Diego Marine veteran, who survived the 1 October shooting and helped rescue a number of people, is doing something special for the victims. 

Taylor Winston wanted something that would hold the memories of the victims close to his heart forever, so of course he went with something permanent. 

Each piece of art represents a different moment from that day.

"The time piece is actually set to the time of the shooting, and has a bullet hole that is passing through," said Taylor Winston. " The wing here represents those lost."  

Moments that Taylor Winston and hundreds of thousands more will never forget. 

"There's going to be embedded purple jewels," he said. "Amethyst is the stone for healing and also it is the color of Route 91 and my girlfriend's birthstone. She's been a huge support to me through all this."

Winston was at the music festival when the shots rang out. He quickly jumped into action, found a truck and started saving as many people as he could. 

"Lucked out the first vehicle I found had keys in it."

Hondre Moreno, the tattoo artist creating the piece was once a stranger to Winston, but is now a dear friend.

"I think it's something special that we've been connected," Moreno said. 

Someone who has spent countless hours coming up with the perfect memorial and someone who is also a survivor of the 1 October shooting,

"Together to be able to do this is a form of healing for the both of us."

Winston hopes anyone who is still suffering from that day will reach out to him and talk about it. 

"It's all going to be tied together with smoke going through as if the pieces are rising from the ashes," he said. "Because that's what everyone has had to do through this traumatic event."

Taylor and Hondre hope to have the piece completed by this Sunday.