LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Tyler Bright stopped to fill up his car and was left with a life-changing injury.
The recent University of Louisville graduate is continuing to find his strength after being shot Jan. 11, 2026, at a gas station in Louisville's Park Hill neighborhood.
"It's been surreal and it's been a whirlwind for sure," Bright said.
Bright never thought stopping for gas would lead him to the Frazier Rehabilitation Institute.
Tyler Bright continued recovery on March 3, 2026, at Frazier Rehab after he was shot in Louisville, Kentucky, on Jan. 11, 2026. (WDRB photo)
"These two guys came up to me to say 'Oh we're running up on you,' and I didn't really pay attention to it at the time," Bright said. "So I just went into my car, and that's when all of a sudden I got struck with a bullet."
The shooting happened at a gas station on 7th Street Road and left him in critical condition.
"When he got injured and he came to us, he was on a ventilator," said Dr. Camilo Castillo with UofL Health. "He was basically needing a lot of help."
For nearly two months, Bright has been fighting physical battles through therapy. He said he still can't really feel from his upper chest down.
"Just the mental state, just kind of battling those thoughts and having that positive outlook, saying 'You can do this,'" Bright said. "(I'm) just trying to be patient and knowing that it's going to get better."
And that's an outlook doctors said has made all the difference.
"He has determination, as you can tell," Castillo said. "He has a great attitude about all of this. This is a very tragic event, but his attitude has been extremely important to his recovery."
Bright has dreams of becoming a sports broadcaster.
"I'll be back," he said. "I'm growing, getting stronger every day."
Bright is confident he'll make it happen, as he believes his journey doesn't end here.
"Eventually, I'll get a nice broadcasting job someday," he said. "I'll be back in the booth someday."
To celebrate how far he's come, the Frazier team arranged for Bright to attend Tuesday's UofL basketball game. He's expected to be discharged from rehab in about a week.
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