Elyzabeth Libbrecht knew what to do when a robbery suspect shot her father last month in Harrah: She rounded up her little brother and headed for the bathtub.

The 7-year-old had remembered the safety tip from a discussion with her father about a year ago after they watched a newscast about a shooting at an apartment complex in the Seattle area.

The two kids stayed in the tub at their grandfather's house until it was safe.

Elyzabeth's father, William Libbrecht, may spend the rest of his life dealing with the impact of the injury from the bullet left in his thigh, but he's glad his kids are still alive.

Libbrecht, 39, spoke with the Yakima Herald-Republic on Sunday, one month after a man suspected of robbing Harold's General Store shot him April 26 while fleeing from Yakima County sheriff's deputies.

Libbrecht said he was mowing his front lawn when the suspect ran by, the pistol briefly visible. The children, who spend some weekends here but usually live with their mother in Portland, had been sent to the backyard.

Libbrecht said he dashed after the suspect without a word. He couldn't see his son and daughter, but he knew they might be in a travel trailer next to the house.

As he neared the corner of a covered storage area attached to the rear of the house, Libbrecht said, he spotted the suspect on the other side of the fence.

"I see the gun coming up, and I knew exactly what was going to happen," he said. That didn't matter as he squared off in line with the trailer, hoping to shield the most important people in his life.

"As long as he was pointing the gun at me, he wasn't pointing it at them."

It turned out the kids were getting a drink in the kitchen at the time, but Libbrecht didn't have time to check before the hammer dropped.

Authorities said the suspect also shot at a deputy before being arrested with the gun and money taken in the robbery, which happened a couple of blocks from Libbrecht's house on Pioneer Street.

The 23-year-old suspect remains in custody at the county jail on suspicion of robbery and assault, among other charges. He faces an immigration hold that could see him deported, according to jail records.

As Libbrecht described his experience, Elyzabeth and her brother, 5-year-old Jules, crawled in their father's lap.

Jules showed off old pictures of his father, then later went to play in the yard. Elyzabeth shyly said she thought her father had done a good job facing down the gunman. Although she and her dad hadn't discussed the bathtub hiding place much since they saw the newscast, Elyzabeth estimated that they have talked in general about being prepared "a 100 times, maybe more -- a 1,000."

Libbrecht is grateful he's got smart kids who know hard cover -- bathroom style -- when they see it.

"I didn't even have to tell you to do that," he told the two during Sunday's interview. "That's the safest place. You guys did really good. I'm really proud of you."

Part of their readiness level may have to do with the fact that Libbrecht has spent time around guns. He's just used to being on the other end.

Besides his hunting background, Libbrecht said he worked for several years for an armored car company and for a company that provides security at the federal courthouse in Portland. He also served for three years in the Navy, which he said discharged him on an unrequested disability in the early 1990s.

After leaving the security field for personal reasons, he went back to construction, most recently as a driver for a heavy-equipment rental company in the Seattle area.

That job ended when he severely tore his calf while unloading a generator. About eight months ago, he moved in with his father in Harrah to get by while he recovered and looked for another career.

He said he was just starting to consult with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs on job possibilities when the shooting happened.

But he's trying to move forward, dealing with the good days and the bad days. To complicate matters even more, both the groin and calf injuries are on the right leg.

Because deputies were busy looking for the suspect, Libbrecht spent about 15 minutes using hand pressure to prevent himself from bleeding out through the groin artery, severed at the vein's Y-junction down the leg. Once the suspect was arrested, an ambulance crew rushed Libbrecht to the hospital, where he spent about a week.

He's grateful that those around him that day -- a church school caretaker threatened by the suspect, as well as the medics, firefighters, deputies and the the pastor who lives next door -- were there to help him and his children.

Peter Touhey, the neighbor and pastor at Harrah Grace Brethren Church, prayed with Libbrecht at the hospital. His 15-year-old son has mowed the lawn for him since the shooting.

Touhey said Libbrecht is moving forward. The pastor is grateful that everyone ended up alive.

"I was very impressed with the way things came together. Certainly the Lord was looking out for that," Touhey said.

* Mark Morey can be reached at 577-7671 or mmorey@yakimaherald.com.