A Dallas police officer who survived three tours in Iraq with the Navy was one of the five officers killed in a sniper attack during a peaceful demonstration in Dallas. 

Rick Zamarripa, told The Washington Post his son, Patrick Zamarripa, was killed in the shooting Thursday night. The Pentagon confirmed his death. 

Zamarripa joined the Navy soon after high school, his father said, and saw combat while working for the U.S. military police in Iraq. According to his service record, he did three tours in Iraq as a Naval security officer. 

He got out of the service about five years ago and joined the the Dallas Police Department. Recently, he started working a bicycle patrol in downtown.

He served 8 years on active duty and another 5 years in reserves, according to his Navy Service Record. He was a recipient of multiple Navy awards and decorations, including the National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. 

"He comes to the United States to protect people here," Zamarripa said. "And they take his life."

Officer Zamarripa was married and the father of a 2-year-old daughter. Outside his devotion to helping people, he was an avid Rangers and Cowboys fan, his father said.

When the elder Zamarripa heard about the shootings, he texted his son, as he had many times before to ensure he was OK. This time, for the first time, he got no response.

Brent Thompson, 43, an officer with Dallas Area Rapid Transit, was also among those killed. 

The U.S. economy added 287,000 jobs during the month of June, beating expectations and wowing investors, CNBC reported. 

Economists expected non-farm payrolls to jump by 175,000 for the month. The unemployment rate also came in above expectations at 4.9 percent. 

The news boosted European stocks, which closed higher Friday. U.S. markets also saw an increase on the news, but analysts aren’t convinced it will change the near-term outlook when it comes to the U.S. Federal Reserve raising interest rates.

A hiring slowdown in the month of May and the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom forced the Fed to keep interest rates on hold last month. 

Late-night TV personality Conan O’Brien will usher in a star-studded lineup of celebrity guests when he hosts his TBS talk show from San Diego this month during Comic-Con.

Just like last year, O’Brien will broadcast his show from the Spreckels Theater on Broadway in downtown San Diego, with tapings set for July 20 through July 23.

His guest list for those tapings is a who’s who of Hollywood talent.

On July 20, the stars of “Silicon Valley” will join O’Brien, including Thomas Middleditch, Kumail Nanjiani, Zach Woods and Martin Starr. On July 21, Coco will be joined by “Weird Al” Yankovic, the San Diego Comic-Con blog confirms.

For the July 22 taping – which will air on July 24 – the cast of “Game of Thrones” will hit Conan’s couch, including John Bradley, Liam Cunningham, Nathalie Emmanuel, Conleth Hill, Faye Marsay, Kristian Nairn, Iwan Rheon and Isaac Hempstead Wright, along with executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The “Game of Thrones” cast appeared on Conan’s show from Comic-Con last summer, too.

Finally, the July 23 taping of O’Brien’s talk show from downtown San Diego will feature the high-profile stars of “Suicide Squad.” This includes Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Cara Delevingne, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Karen Fukuhara, Jay Hernandez and Adam Beach.

More guests may be announced as Comic-Con and the tapings draw closer.

As of Friday morning, tickets to each of O’Brien’s San Diego tapings were sold out. However, fans pining for tickets can still try to snag standby passes. A limited number of those will be made available just before show time each day, if there are any empty seats to fill in the theater. Most of these seats will be single seats throughout the venue.

For those standby passes, fans can go to the Team Coco Ticket Space at 969 1st Avenue at 8 a.m. on the morning of the taping they’d like to attend. There, wristbands will be distributed and hopefuls will be given details on a location and time to return to see if they will be getting into the taping.

San Diego Comic-Con International 2016 runs July 20 (preview night) through July 24 at the San Diego Convention Center.

NBC 7 will bring you coverage of the pop culture and comic book spectacular on our special Comic-Con section on NBC7.com.

Presumptive nominee Donald Trump is heading into the Republican convention with 1,541 delegates — well over what’s needed to win the GOP nomination. But delegates opposed to Trump could still jeopardize his nomination, according to NBC News. 

Anti-Trump rebels are trying to pass a rule at the Rules Committee meeting Thursday to allow delegates to vote for whomever they want on the first ballot. If their efforts fail, they could cause a disruption on the floor to try to force a vote of all delegates. 

The Rules Committee may also require a supermajority instead of a simple majority to win the GOP nomination. 

A third way anti-Trump delegates may try to stop him from achieving the nomination is by abstaining from voting, which would keep him from achieving the 1,237 number needed for a majority.

But none of these scenarios are likely to be successful, according to Republican lawyer Ben Ginsberg, because most Republicans aren't rebels and because there's no alternative to Trump. 

Authorities have arrested and charged a man with murder and attempted murder in a series of violent attacks against homeless San Diegans. 

San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Homicide Division Capt. David Nisleit announced the arrest of Anthony Alexander Padgett, 36, of Chula Vista, Thursday following an active manhunt for the suspect.

“At this time, we have probable cause to arrest Mr. Padgett for these heinous crimes,” Nisleit said. “This arrest comes with our main priority of helping the public.”

NBC 7 San Diego first reported a person of interest was taken into custody after confirming the news with two independent sources. 

Padgett was arrested around 10 a.m. near Broadway and H Street in Chula Vista. Nisleit said Padgett is responsible for killing two homeless men and critically injuring two others, leaving them with significant trauma to their upper bodies. Authorities do not believe there are other suspects. 

Read more about the attacks here. 

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Nisleit said the investigation is still in its initial stages and there is still a lot of work to be done, including interviewing witnesses and processing evidence. He said investigators will be  “doing that around the clock.”

Nisleit said they have served several search warrants at locations in San Diego, and Padgett will be booked soon. Padgett will be charged with murder and attempted murder, he said. 

A source confirmed Padgett was arrested in 2010 for setting a homeless man on fire. 

He said investigators believe Padgett is the same man spotted on surveillance footage buying gasoline minutes before a homeless man was set on fire Sunday, the first in the series of killings. 

Police will not release further details of the crimes as the investigation is ongoing. 

No motive has been assigned to the attacks. Nisleit would not elaborate on any potential motive or statement made. 

No other information was immediately available.

Five officers are dead — four Dallas police officers and one Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer — in what authorities called a sniper ambush on police officers at the end of a peaceful protest against nationwide officer-involved shootings Thursday night.

Seven officers and two civilians were also injured in the shootings. All are expected to recover.

"This is a terrible blow to the city of Dallas. This is a terrible blow to the United States of America," Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said on the NBC's "Today" show Friday morning.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown said Friday officers cornered a suspect — later identified as Micah Xavier Johnson, of Mesquite — and tried to negotiate with him for several hours before talks broke down. Johnson told police he was upset by recent police shootings and "wanted to kill white people."

After an exchange of gunfire, officers attached explosives to a bomb robot and detonated them near Johnson, killing him.

Brown said other options to bring the standoff to an end would have exposed more officers to grave danger.

Brown said before the standoff ended, Johnson told a hostage negotiator he was upset about recent shootings involving police officers and that he specifically wanted to kill white police officers. He added that he was not affiliated with any group, carried out the act alone and said police would eventually find the IEDs he claimed to have placed around the city.

Police initially said they believed there were two shooters. But after the standoff ended, Brown gave no more details about a possible second shooter. Authorities had also said at one point that three suspects were in custody and a fourth dead. Hours later, officials were vague and would not discuss details.

Rawlings said police have swept the area where the standoff took place and investigated one suspicious package but found no explosives. Maj. Max Geron, with the Dallas Police Department, said on Twitter the area was cleared and crime scene investigators began processing the massive crime scene at about 6 a.m.

"I'm not going to be satisfied until we turn over every stone," Brown said. "If there's someone out there associated with this, we will find you."

Rawlings called the shooting Dallas' "worst nightmare" and asked that all residents "come together and support our police officers." Brown reiterated that message Friday, asking for prayers and support from the community in the wake of the shootings.

"We're hurting. Our profession is hurting. Dallas officers are hurting. We are heartbroken. There are no words to describe the atrocity that occurred to our city. All I know is that this must stop. This divisiveness between our police and our citizens,” Brown said. “We don't feel much support most days. Let's not make today most days. We need your support to be able to protect your from men like these."

Scores of Dallas and DART police officers arrived downtown following the shooting, which took place along Main Street between and Market and Lamar streets, a block from the Old Red Courthouse building just before 9 p.m.

"I saw all the cops were bending over. There had to have been five or six cops, and they were all getting shot down. It was right after the rally, we were walking to the car," said Cortney Washington, of Dallas. "They kept shooting. It was coming — we didn't know where it was coming from. And I didn't see anybody else get shot. It was just the cops. I didn't see nobody else get shot."

Twelve officers in all — eight Dallas police and four DART — were shot by gunmen in what police believe to be a coordinated ambush attack that began at 8:58 p.m., at the close of a rally in solidarity with two men killed in officer-involved shootings, one in Louisiana, one in Minnesota.

Video from the scene showed officers taking cover and people in the rally scattering after gunshots were heard.

One of the injured civilians was identified by family as Shetamia Taylor, who was shot while shielding her children from the gunfire, her sister told NBC 5. Taylor's condition is not known. A male victim was also injured in the shootings, according to City of Dallas spokeswoman Sana Syed. His identity and condition have not yet been released.

One person was taken into custody at about 11:30 p.m., Dallas police said, following an exchange of gunfire with Dallas SWAT officers. A suspicious package was located near that person, and the package was being investigated by bomb squad personnel. Two other people were taken into custody in connection with a vehicle, Brown said.

Thursday's protest was organized by Dominique R. Alexander, an ordained minister and the head of the Next Generation Action Network, according to The New York Times. He told the Times the organization “does not condone violence against any human being, and we condemn anyone who wants to commit violence.” 

Brown said it was too early to say whether there was a connection between the attackers and the demonstration.

“I was right there when the shooting happened,” Alexander added. “They could have shot me.”

Another rally organizer Cory Hughes told NBC 5 the protest was peaceful and as the crowd was dispersing, they heard gunfire. He said the scene turned into "mayhem; we didn't know where to go." He added he knew it was a serious situation when he saw officers coming from all directions, carrying rifles and tactical gear.

"They were shots ringing out from what felt like every direction," Hughes said.

The deceased DART officer was identified as 43-year-old Officer Brent Thompson. He is the first DART officer killed in the line of duty since the transit service formed a police department in 1989. He joined DART in 2009, according to a department statement.

Patrick Zamarripa, one of the Dallas police officers killed in the attack, served three tours of duty in Iraq as a Naval security officer. He was honored with the Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

"He comes to the United States to protect people here," his father, Rick Zamarripa, told the Washington Post. "And they take his life."

Michael Krol worked for the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in Michigan from 2003 to 2007, before moving to Texas and joining the Dallas Police Department. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office identified him as a victim in Thursday's shooting.

"We are saddened by the loss of the dedicated officers in Dallas — one of whom was a former member of this agency — and also the wounding of the other officers," Sheriff Benny Napoleon said in a statement.

Identities of the other deceased Dallas police officers have not been released.

President Barack Obama, who was in Warsaw, Poland, for a NATO meeting, condemned the "vicious, callous and despicable attack."

"I believe I speak for every single American when I say that we are horrified over these events and that we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas," the president said.

Gov. Greg Abbott offered the state's assistance to Dallas overnight and Obama pledged federal support.

Obama also ordered flags at the White House and all public buildings and grounds to be flown at half-staff. 

Attorney General Loretta Lynch called for peace and calm in the wake of the attack, saying that violence is never the answer.

Lynch said Friday at the Justice Department in Washington that it has been a week of heartbreak and loss for the nation.

Lynch said the spate of violence can't be allowed to "precipitate a new normal." Calling the Dallas attack "an unfathomable tragedy," she said those concerned about suspect killings by police should not be discouraged "by those who use your lawful actions as a cover for their heinous violence."

Dallas County buildings, including the George L. Allen Sr. Courts building, were closed Friday, among several closures due to the ongoing police investigation. El Centro College was closed Friday and classes canceled due to the police investigation.

The ATF and FBI have joined the investigation, authorities said.

Dallas police at one point released a photo of a man whom they considered a "person of interest" in the shootings. The man, whose identity has not been released, surrendered to police for questioning and was later released.

A witness who posted video to Facebook said he saw at least three officers wounded near El Centro College. (Video is embedded below.) It is the deadliest day for United States law enforcement agents since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks killed 72, NBC News reported. The shooting comes just over a year after a man opened fire on Dallas Police Headquarters on South Lamar Street. No officers were injured in the ensuing shootout.

Drivers using northbound and southbound Interstate 805 at the Golden Triangle over the weekend and next week will be detoured, as Caltrans crews install guardrails and traffic monitoring systems.

Northbound I-805 will be closed at Sorrento Valley Road and the Vista Sorrento Parkway off-ramp from 9:30 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Saturday.

During the closure, crews will be installing new guardrails, according to information released by Caltrans. Drivers will be detoured to the Mira Mesa Boulevard and Vista Sorrento Parkway off-ramp.

There will be additional closures on northbound I-805 from La Jolla Village Drive and Miramar Road to Interstate 5. This road closure is set for next Monday and Tuesday nights from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Crews will redirect drivers to westbound State Route 52 and northbound I-5. Traffic will be allowed to exit at Governor and Nobel drives.

On Wednesday night, southbound I-805 will close from I-5 to SR-52 between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., while Caltrans works to install traffic monitoring systems. An alternative route will be offered for drivers on southbound I-5 to eastbound SR-52 and to I-805.

For more information on these road closures, click here.

Rappers Snoop Dogg and The Game led a peace march in downtown Los Angeles Friday morning in the wake of a sniper ambush that left five officers dead at a protest in Dallas.

The Game posted a message on Instagram calling on "ALL AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN, MEXICAN AMERICAN MEN & any other RACE of REAL MEN with heart to stand with us today & walk peacefully to the LAPD headquarters."

Several dozen people gathered outside police headquarters around 8:30 a.m., where a graduation ceremony for recruits was taking place. The rappers said the walk was intended to unify minorities and create a dialogue with officers.

"If you are a human being and you have ears and eyes to see, this is a day of change," The Game said during an impromptu news conference at City Hall following a meeting with Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck. "I think that we need to take responsibility as a human race and accept the role as peace-givers and people that distribute love and change throughout this city."

The rappers said they planned the walk not knowing it would coincide with the graduation, but the ceremony gave their message more significance.

"This is even better because now these students that are about to hit the streets can know that there is some sort of dialogue going on and they don't have to be fearful," Snoop Dogg said. "And they can do their jobs and know that when you stop somebody you're a conversation away from sending them home or taking them to jail, but the conversation is key."

"We all represent the same cause and we all want to go home to our families," he added. "Today was a first step of many steps. We are here to show love and support to the police force in Los Angeles and get some understanding and communication, and we feel like this is a great start."

It comes a day after a sniper attack killed five officers and wounded seven others at the end of a peaceful protest in Dallas. The demonstration was in response to the deadly police-involved shootings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota.

The suspected shooter in Dallas, later identified as a 25-year-old North Texas Army veteran, was killed during a standoff with officers. Three other individuals were in custody in connection with the shootings.

Police have identified another officer who was killed in the shootings in downtown Dallas.

Sgt. Michael J. Smith was among the officers gunned down in the line of duty by a sniper following a peaceful protest Thursday night.

Smith served with the Dallas Police Department for 28 years and was a seven-year U.S. Army veteran, according to police.

Smith lived with his family in Carrollton.

Relatives said they appreciate the community's support and prayers. Smith's funeral services are pending.

The Congressional Black Caucus has called for more stringent gun control measures including a ban on assault weapons, NBC News reported. 

"The two acts of murder this week must be addressed by law enforcement and it must be addressed by the Congress of the United States. If we fail to act this will be a long hot summer," Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus on Capitol Hill, said Friday. 

The Caucus Chair and other members declared the police shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling and the killings of five Dallas police officers as the continued problem of easy access to guns in America. 

"If this Congress does not have the guts to lead, then we are responsible for all the bloodshed on the streets of America whether it be at the hands of people wearing a uniform or whether it's at the hands of criminals, we bear that responsibility if we don't act," said Cedric Richmond (D-La.), who represents Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Activists and community members are urging North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory to veto a bill that would limit the public’s access to law enforcement recordings, such as police body cameras and dash cam recordings, NBC News reported. 

They presented McCrory with a petition of more than 3,800 signatures on Friday, according to Southeast Asian Coalition of Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Under HB972, recordings made by law enforcement agencies would not be public records. Agencies would decide whether to release the recordings. If denied, an individual would have to obtain a court order to view or obtain the recording.

A Vietnamese-American woman with bipolar disorder was shot and killed by an officer in 2014. Her family wasn’t allowed to see the officer’s body cam footage for more than two years. When they did finally see the video and hear the audio, they felt it didn’t match the officer’s testimony about what happened, advocacy group 18 Million Rising said. 

The officer was cleared of wrongdoing after an internal investigation, but has   resigned from the police department.

The officer-targeted police massacre in Dallas Thursday night has sent aftershocks through law enforcement agencies far and wide.

Department leaders are asking themselves what more they can do in the way of “community policing” – is there something they’re still missing?

"It's not 'us against them',” San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore told NBC 7 in an interview Friday. “To the extent that we let that happen, we all lose. We are part of the community, and we are stronger when the community feels that and they work with us in community policing."

Gore, a former local agent-in-charge for the FBI, says he’s emphasizing training de-escalating confrontational situations.

His department has lost nine deputies in the line of duty over the years.

But Gore says he didn't think he needed to double up patrol units last night, as several police chiefs, including San Diego's did.

SDPD's Shelley Zimmerman, whose department has buried 34 officers with solemn honors, Is carrying on a "community policing" tradition begun in the '70s by the late Bill Kolender -- another San Diego police chief, who went on to become a three-term.

Zimmerman told NBC 7 that there's been an outpouring of support for her "thin blue line".

“Many emails, many text messages, many phone calls,” she said. “We just had somebody stop by delivering flowers to our police department, and a very heart-warming note to our police officers -- letting them know how much they appreciate what our officers do every single day."

At the time of the Dallas sniper attack, social media was hit with a flood tide of hatred, directed at the law enforcement community.

It was called out and denounced to the point where it subsided.

But the angry sentiments remain evidence of deep-seated societal divisions that need healing.

With Bernie Sanders expected to endorse Hillary Clinton next week, the Democratic platform meeting that started in Orlando Friday afternoon will be his last chance to help shape the party’s platform, according to NBC News. 

Team Sanders is preparing for a final push on policy items at the first meeting of the full Democratic Platform Drafting Committee, with the top priority being an amendment opposing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. 

Over two days, the 187 member-committee will consider new amendments and changes to the platform, which will then be sent to the floor of the Democratic National Convention later this month. 

Delegates in Orlando will build off the draft party platform that was previously written by a 15-member working group. Sanders praised the draft as a good first step that included many of his properties but said, "Much more needs to be done."

A man accused of attacking a Home Depot employee with a knife was arrested at gunpoint Friday at the home improvement store in Encinitas, officials confirmed.

According to Sgt. Scott Bligh, of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO), suspect Sean Burton, 34, was arrested at a Home Depot store located at 1001 N. El Camino Real after he allegedly threw a folding blade knife at an employee as the victim was watering plants at the garden center portion of the store.

The SDSO said deputies with the North Coastal Sheriff’s Station were called to the business after Burton was spotted driving recklessly at a very high speed in the Home Depot parking lot.

When officers arrived, witnesses told police Burton had attacked the Home Depot employee, who was bleeding after suffering a minor leg wound.

Deputies made contact with Burton inside the Home Depot store. Guns drawn, deputies took the suspect into custody inside the store.

Burton was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and taken to Vista Detention Facility.

The SDSO said an off-duty paramedic was at the Home Depot at the time of the attack and quickly rushed to the aid of the injured employee. The victim was treated at Scripps La Jolla hospital and soon released.

The incident is under investigation. No further details were released. Anyone with information on this case can call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Jeff Finkle, a Home Depot employee, told NBC 7 on Saturday that he was shocked to hear the news of what had happened at the store.

“I think it’s crazy. The people in here are very nice and friendly," Finkle said. "It’s something that shouldn’t have happened in a nice community.”

Finkle said he's never seen any disturbances like this in the store or around the parking lot.

One person died and two were seriously hurt Friday when a vehicle allegedly attempting to smuggle seven undocumented immigrants into the United States was involved in a rollover crash.

According to the El Centro Sector U.S. Border Patrol, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) received an emergency call at approximately 1:13 a.m. from a man who said that his vehicle rolled over in a crash during an attempt to smuggle undocumented immigrant into the country.

SDSO dispatchers provided Border Patrol agents with approximate GPS locations using cell tower triangulation, but they were unable to immediately locate the scene of the rollover.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter joined the search after the man made a second emergency call at 3:45 a.m. and was able to locate the vehicle inside of the Carrizo Wash three-and-a-half hours later at 7:22 a.m.

A total of 10 men were involved in the rollover. Three were lawful U.S. residents, four were adult citizens of Mexico, one was a juvenile citizen of Mexico and another an adult citizen of Brazil.

One of the adult Mexican citizens was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

One man was taken to the Border Patrol check point where a medevac was requested.

Once on the scene, Border Patrol agents discovered footprints leading away from the crash site, and with the help of a CBP A-Star helicopter, were able to locate another man involved in the smuggling attempt.

The forward rate of spread on a 9-acre brush fire near State Route (SR) 94 and Otay Lake Road in Chula Vista has been stopped, Cal Fire confirmed.

Crews are shifting to mop up operations and expect to be on the scene for four more hours, Cal Fire said around 10:30 p.m. 

The fire started around 8 p.m. Friday evening. 

No structures are threatened.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

A fatal motorcycle crash has shut down the Mission Bay Drive bridge for the next three to four hours, San Diego police confirmed.

San Diego Police responded to multiple 911 calls just before 8:30 Friday evening.

When they arrived the 20-year-old motorcyclist was lying in the number one lane still wearing his helmet.

He reportedly suffered severe head and back injuries. On closer examination emergency responders determined he was already dead.

Traffic was moving between 15 and 25 miles an hour at the time, but the motorcycle was traveling much faster, witnesses said.

Lois Hero was driving when she said the motorcyclist passed her, knocked off a side mirror and bumper, then crashed into the back of a Ford explorer.

The debris field measured some 30 feet long and two lanes wide.

“It was like a flash. How can I put it, it just didn't seem real that all the sudden I see this crash and see this object like you see in the movies flying at you like a tornado” Hero said.

The West Mission Bay Bridge is closed to traffic at highway eight to the south and Sea World Drive to the north. 

San Diego Police Traffic Division is investigating.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

When 5-year-old Jude Hill lost both of his feet in a lawn mowing accident two years ago, his family wasn't sure they would ever be able to afford proper-fitting prosthetics for their energetic, vibrant son who simply wanted to run.

But thanks to the kindness of Boston Marathon bombing survivor Heather Abbott, Jude is no longer side-lined by his injuries.

Abbott visited the University of Illinois Chicago Hospital Friday morning to give Jude two high-tech Blade Running Feet and two running socket prosthetics to help him run and compete in sports.

"He put them on and he started running," said David Rotter of Scheck and Siress, who made the socket for Jude's new running blades and adjusted the alignment when the young boy was surprised with them Friday. "Kids are so adaptable. You wish you could bottle some of that up."

Jude lost his feet in an accident on June 21, 2014. His father, Greg Hill, was driving a riding lawn mower when he put it in reverse, unaware his child was playing behind him.

"Didn't hear Jude, didn't see him and saw Jude's left foot spit out the cutting deck," Hill said.

The event left the Hill family of seven in a dark and difficult spot as Jude's parents navigated not only what would be their child's new reality but the financial burden of multiple surgeries and prosthetics.

Jude was fitted with proper prosthetic legs 15 months ago thanks to Rotter, but the new running blades will let him run even faster, serving as a new beginning for the young boy as he aspires to play sports, his family says. He even recently won five track and field gold medals at the 2016 UCO Endeavor Games, a feat that will undoubetdly become even easier as Jude moves forward with his new running blades.

"He just took off," Greg Hill said Friday. "It's rather indescribable...to try to put words to how well he's adapting."

Abbott, who lost her leg in the heartbreaking event that made headlines across the globe, was fitted with six different legs thanks to the kindness of strangers who reached out to help.

"I was very lucky that my tragedy was so public in a sense, because people reached out and helped," she said.

Now, she's paying that kindness forward.

Jude’s new blades were made possible by the Heather Abbott Foundation, an organization Abbott founded to help other survivors who have lost limbs during traumatic events.

"Children should be able to run," she said. "It's incredible to see [Jude] be able to do that."