This Iraq veteran stole a truck and rescued dozens as gunfire rained down in Las Vegas

An Iraq veteran is being hailed as a hero for stealing a festival truck and rescuing dozens of shooting victims as gunfire rained down in Las Vegas Sunday night.

Taylor Winston, 29, of San Diego, first thought the gunshots were fireworks while drinking and two-stepping at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, CBS News reports. But his combat skills kicked in when he heard the screams and the gunshots got closer during the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

He fled to the exit with his friend, Jenn Lewis, and helped people over a nearby fence, according to CBS News.

Winston then noticed a bunch of festival trucks in a nearby parking lot and thought to look inside for keys. He goes to a lot of country concerts with his current job at Country Rebel, a clothing company for country fans, and figured at least one of the trucks would still have keys inside, he told the Daily Beast.