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CARTHAGE (AP) — The police officer who stopped a shooting rampage at a North Carolina nursing home is returning to work this week.

Officer Justin Garner, 25, of the Carthage Police Department has been recuperating from a leg wound he suffered March 29 at Pinelake Health and Rehabilitation Center in Carthage. Garner stopped the shooting that killed eight people when he wounded the alleged gunman.

The suspected shooter, Robert Kenneth Stewart, 45, was indicted on eight counts of murder. He also is charged with attempted murder in Garner's wounding.

Garner said coming back to work will be different because of all the congratulations he has received since the shooting, The Fayetteville Observer reported Sunday.

"It's going to be different, people coming up and talking to me. It ain't going to be like before it happened," Garner said.

Garner has been honored across Moore County by a variety of groups. In June, the Carthage Rotary Club plans to name him citizen of the year.

"It's like being with a celebrity, really," said Garner's wife, Stephanie Garner.

Garner said he will need a case for the awards he has received.

"I'm going to get me a nice glass case and put it all in there and stick it in my living room or something like that," Garner said. "I'm going to take pride in the stuff they give me."

Garner has been deluged with requests for interviews and has declined celebrity magazine requests. Dr. Phil McGraw wanted to fly Garner and Police Chief Chris McKenzie to Hollywood to tape a "Dr. Phil" show, but the chief declined.

"I don't want to take away from the families their horrible losses for someone else's entertainment," McKenzie said.

Garner was working a 12-hour Sunday shift on March 29 when he was called to the nursing home.

"Initially, I just thought it was somebody out there shooting, because we always get calls about shots fired," Garner said.

When he arrived at Pinelake he saw a much different scene. A vehicle window was shot out and a wounded woman was inside the front door.

Garner said he checked each room as he went through the building. The gunman and Garner entered the same hallway about 35 feet apart and Garner told him three times to drop his weapon.

"It was very quiet," Garner said.

The gunman aimed at Garner.

"That's when he fired. We fired at the same time," Garner said.

"I never dreamed that something like this would happen," Garner said. "Not in a nursing home."