Cold Case Files — "I SURVIVED: I Tried To Yell But My Jaw Was Shattered"

Podcast: Cold Case Files (A&E / PodcastOne)
Date: February 21, 2026
Host/Narrator: Marisa Pinson
Main Theme: Survival during unimaginable violence — Mass shooting and intimate partner assault, told first-hand by those who lived through horror.

Episode Overview

This episode of Cold Case Files centers on two harrowing stories:

1. The 1991 Luby’s Cafeteria mass shooting in Killeen, Texas — the deadliest U.S. mass shooting at the time — told through survivors Kirby and Susanna.
2. Reagan’s escape from an attempted murder by her ex-partner Eric, a story of resilience against intimate partner violence.

Both segments emphasize the randomness and ferocity of violence, the gut-wrenching choices survivors face, the trauma endured, and the dogged will to live and testify.

Part 1: The Luby’s Cafeteria Massacre (October 16, 1991 — Killeen, Texas)

Scene Setting and First Realization ([01:07 – 05:43])

• Kirby describes a crowded cafeteria, small talk, and then the sudden horror of a blue Ford truck careening through the restaurant’s window.
• Susanna is there with her parents: “All of a sudden this truck came blasting through a floor to ceiling window maybe 15ft from me.” (03:30)
• Initial moments are marked by confusion, then terror as the driver becomes a shooter.

Quote ([05:08] Susanna):

“I was still looking for an explanation, some reason for this guy doing what he was doing. It took a good 45 seconds, which is an eternity, to figure out that this guy was simply going to walk around and murder people.”

The Attack Unfolds — Chaos and Survival Tactics ([05:43 – 14:18])

• The gunman methodically walks through the restaurant, shooting at random.
• Kirby tries to help but is pinned down: “People were pushing their tables over and ducking behind the tables. And it just went like flash, instant chaos.” (04:11)
• Susanna and her family use a table as a barricade.
• Susanna regrets not having her gun: "My gun was 100 yards away out in my car, because... what are the odds of my needing it in the middle of the day in a crowded restaurant?" (06:22)
• Multiple attempts to intervene are met with deadly force — Susanna’s father is shot when he tries to stop the gunman ([09:30]).

Quote ([07:25] Kirby):

“Imagine your worst horror. This guy was horrible looking. I mean, his face was tight, it was drawn, and you could... the eyes were just unbelievably white and large.”

The Shooter’s Terror and Small Acts of Humanity ([10:24 – 14:18])

• The shooter directs rage at women, screaming misogynistic insults:
  "Calling them all vipers and bitches. And look what the women of Bell county has done to me. Is this worth it? I'll make you all pay. I'm going to kill you all." (08:37)
• He lets a mother and child go after threats — “the only act of humanity the man had.” (10:24 Kirby)
• Descriptions of violence are unflinching: direct gunshots, people dying instantly, efforts to help wounded friends become impossible.

Escape and Police Response ([14:18 – 22:17])

• Susanna finds an escape route (“An unlikely hero had thrown his own body through that window to create an escape route.” [14:18]) and flees, realizing her mother stayed behind with her dying father (17:03–18:07).
• Police arrive and engage in a shootout.
• Kirby survives a near-execution only because the gunman misses at point-blank range (“The jerk missed me.” [15:18]).
• The gunman, George Hennard, commits suicide after a final gunfight with police.

Quote ([21:09] Kirby):

“I was shot in the back, actually it was in the upper hip and it came out my stomach... Missed my backbone by half inch. Missed all the major nerves, missed all the major arteries, but yet it was life threatening... But everything's healed up, everything works and everything's good now. Just an ugly scar.”

Aftermath and Reflection ([21:54 – 23:47])

• Susanna’s mother is executed beside her dying husband ([21:54]).
• Survivor’s reflections:
  • Susanna: “I think I survived because my father helped alter the gunman's course. Gave me a few extra minutes.” (22:28)
  • Kirby: “I believe I survived because of divine intervention. The guy was a merchant marine... There's no way he should have missed me point blank.” (22:44)
• Both recount the heavy toll: Kirby loses seven friends; Susanna, both her parents.

Part 2: Reagan Survives a Brutal Domestic Assault (June 2009 — Rochester, NY)

Relationship Downfall and Escalating Threats ([23:47 – 28:41])

• Reagan recounts an on/off relationship with Eric deteriorating after failed co-parenting.
• Eric’s behavior becomes erratic and menacing, culminating in him moving into Reagan’s basement to maintain contact with their daughter.
• Tensions rise over custody, jealousy, and Reagan’s new boyfriend Dan: “Eric would have this look, this look in his eyes I've never seen before. It was like a crazed animal. I feared for my life.” (26:36)

The Day of the Attack ([29:07 – 34:32])

• On a Sunday during a custody exchange and housework, a confrontation ignites between Eric and Dan.
• Eric strikes Dan in the head with a pry bar, then attacks Reagan.
• Vivid, chilling details:
  • “I heard bone. Dan's body fell to the ground... I thought Dan was dead, and I'm pretty sure Eric possibly thought the same thing. Eric went over to Dan's body, put his foot on his chest, and removed the pry bar out of his head.” (31:09)
  • Reagan is kicked in the face: “I actually felt my jaw shift and my teeth shatter.” (31:49)
  • She’s pursued onto the lawn as Eric beats her with the metal bar again and again.

Quote ([34:32] Reagan):

"I tried to yell, but I don't think I was very successful at it, being that my jaw was shattered at that point. But I just remember I was trying to yell."

The Children Witness and Help ([34:37 – 37:19])

• Reagan’s 10-year-old son witnesses the attack and pleads for it to stop.
• “He had enough self control in the middle of attacking me with a pry bar to stop and answer my son... because your mother told Dan to beat me up.” (34:37)
• Her 6-year-old daughter runs for help, alerting a neighbor and calling 911 (“Someone call 911. My mommy's gonna die.” [35:44])
• Eric flees the scene; first responders arrive.

Survival, Aftermath & Justice ([37:22 – 39:33])

• Both Reagan and Dan are critically injured:
  • “The first time that I actually felt significant fear for my life was when I begged to the paramedic, please just let me pass out. It hurts so bad. I just want to pass out. And she said to me, if you do, I can't promise you'll ever wake up.” (37:22)
  • Dan suffers permanent, life-altering brain injury.
• Eric is arrested a month later, convicted of assault and attempted murder, sentenced to 40 years.
• Reagan reflects on her survival for her children and the need to bear witness:
  • “I survived for my children... and kept the memory of everything because I wanted Eric to pay. He was not going to get away with it.” (38:29)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Kirby (07:25) on seeing the shooter:
  “Imagine your worst horror. This guy was horrible looking. I mean, his face was tight, it was drawn, and you could... the eyes were just unbelievably white and large.”
• Susanna (05:08) on realizing the intent:
  “It took a good 45 seconds, which is an eternity, to figure out that this guy was simply going to walk around and murder people.”
• Kirby (15:18), near execution:
  “He bent over and put the pistol against the soft spot right in the back of my head... And then. Explosion. It was so loud... I literally said it to myself. I said, the jerk missed me.”
• Kirby (21:09) on his injuries and luck:
  “Missed my backbone by half inch. Missed all the major nerves, missed all the major arteries, but yet it was life threatening... But everything's healed up, everything works and everything's good now.”
• Reagan (31:49) during her attack:
  “I actually felt my jaw shift and my teeth shatter.”
• Reagan (34:32) as she escapes:
  “I tried to yell, but I don't think I was very successful at it, being that my jaw was shattered at that point. But I just remember I was trying to yell.”
• Reagan (38:29) on survival and testimony:
  “I survived for my children... and kept the memory of everything because I wanted Eric to pay. He was not going to get away with it.”

Timeline & Timestamps

• [01:07] Introduction to mass shooting in Killeen, Texas
• [03:03] The truck smashes into the cafe
• [05:08] Realization: “He’s killing people for no reason”
• [07:25] Description of the shooter; failed intervention
• [10:24] Gunman’s “mercy” act — letting mother and child go
• [14:18] Susanna’s escape through broken window
• [15:18] Kirby’s near-execution
• [21:09] Kirby reflects on his survival and injuries
• [22:17] Conclusion to the Luby’s story and death toll
• [23:47] Reagan’s story begins (2009, Rochester, NY)
• [26:36] “I feared for my life” — escalating threats
• [31:09] The violent attack on Dan and Reagan
• [34:32] Reagan’s attempted escape, severe injuries
• [34:37] Her son’s plea — “Don’t hurt my mommy”
• [37:22] Paramedic’s warning — “If you pass out, you may never wake up”
• [38:29] Reagan’s reasons for surviving
• [39:33] Episode transitions out

Conclusion

This episode delivers a raw, gripping account of survival against the odds — from a mass shooting that shattered families and community, to the intimate terror of domestic violence. The voices of Kirby, Susanna, and Reagan hold nothing back: from the chaos and carnage, to guilt, loss, and the deep instinct to live for others. Their testimony is solemn but hopeful, a tribute to resilience and the human spirit.

Trigger warning: The episode includes graphic depictions of violence, murder, and domestic assault, as told by the survivors themselves.