SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On the 30-year anniversary of the Good Guys hostage crisis, one survivor will never forget that moment.
Lisa Joseph walked into the Good Guys electronic store in South Sacramento with her uncle and cousin 30 years ago.
"It was horrific. It was like a nightmare that you can’t come out of," Joseph said.
Four gunmen entered the store on April 4, 1991 and held Joseph and 40 others hostage. The stand-off lasted more than eight hours. It is still one of the largest hostage rescue operations in U.S. history.
Three hostages and three of the gunmen died during the incident. The surviving gunman is serving life in prison.
Joseph is having a hard time trying to forget that day and move forward. She was five months pregnant that day and ended up suffering a miscarriage. And one of the hostages that died was Joseph's uncle.
Former Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness was a deputy at the time. He said it's a day he will always remember.
"These are extraordinary people," McGinness said. "These are people who stepped up and put themselves in an extraordinary difficult position."
Joseph said it took time for her to cope.
"I’m very grateful to be alive and grateful for every day God gives me here on this earth," she said.
She helped shape how hostage situations are handled by law enforcement today by talking to different agencies and sharing her story.
"I got to see the behind the scenes of how dedicated these law enforcement people are. It was very very healing for me," she said.
Joseph has even written books and recently released an audio book called “Heads or Tails” so more people can hear the true story of what happened.
She said she's forgiven the surviving gunman and wants others to remember one thing on the anniversary of the ordeal:
"Be grateful for today because tomorrow is not promised."