KINLOCH, Mo. — An off-duty firefighter is recovering after being shot early this morning.
25-year-old Jared Williams is now in recovery. He was released from the hospital earlier Thursday afternoon.
This is the second time a Kinloch firefighter has been injured in a shooting in over a year.
The Kinloch Fire Chief Kevin Stewart says they have experienced more tragedy in this past year, than they have in the last 20 years he's been there.
Chief Stewart says Williams is committed to protecting his community.
Volunteering for the Kinloch Fire Protection District, a department of 27 men and women.
"He’s actually an extraordinary young man, he is a liver transplant survivor," Chief Stewart adds. "To do this job for free and to put forth the amount effort and dedication that he does is a true testament of the heart that he has as a servant."
Early Thursday morning, Williams was the one needing assistance.
"He came to the station after getting off work down the road. He gets off at 2 o'clock in the morning, he doesn’t have his own car and uses public transportation," he explains.
The bus stops running at 1:30 in the morning.
Williams comes to the station to nap, until it's operating again at 4.
He left at 3:40.
"Two vehicles were driving by and he was walking down Martin Luther King and they drove by him and were opening fire," Stewart explains.
Although police do not believe Williams was the intended target, a bullet struck him in the arm.
For Chief Stewart, it's a call he did not want again.
He says, "It was just a flashback June of 2020 all over again."
Last summer, 20-year-old Arlydia Bufford was eating at a St. Johns Applebee's when a gunman fired shots.
She suffered serious injuries.
Bufford continues to recover and Williams is recovering as well.
"He’s remained positive through the whole ordeal," Chief Stewart tells 5 On Your Side.
Tragedy may have hit their department, but Chief Stewart believes something greater is protecting them through it all.
"I do believe that God has shown himself to be faithful and that he does have his hand and protection over our department and our members," he adds.
As for the rest of the department, Chief Stewart says he's constantly checking in with the other firefighters to make sure they are doing okay during this time, as this could bring back some flashbacks.