Venture :: 2002 Chevy - New Fuel Filter Leaking Gas

Yesterday our 2002 Chevy Venture minivan died in the store's parking lot. It would not stay running when we started it and let off the gas. As long as we were pushing the gas pedal down, the van would run. As soon as you let off the gas, it died.

So my husband walked to the auto store and bought a new fuel filter. He then tried to replace it in the store parking lot. As soon as he took off the 'male hose' from the fuel filter, a lot of gasoline sprayed him in his face and of course he came out from under the van screaming and in pain. (Don't worry with kids we had over 8 bottles of water in the van and I flushed his face and eyes for over 10 min and he is fine now).

Anyway, in the process of flailing under the van when the gas hit his face, he jumbled up these little black and rainbow colored rings and lost a long rusty screw/bolt that screws the main round body of the fuel filter to the underneath of the car and holds it in place.

We searched and could not find the bolt. My husband jumbled up the small rubber rings and did not know what was from the old or new filter. He tried placing them on the new fuel filter but as soon as he turned on the car, not even the engine just turned the key to where you can play the radio... all this gas sprayed out from the new fuel filter. After many tries of re-arranging the little o rings he gave up and called a tow truck.

Today he called auto zone and they looked at a new fuel filter in it's box (same one my husband bought) and told my husband that there was only one small black o ring on the fuel filter. So he put one ring on his new fuel filter (on the male hose I think) but still the filter sprays gas as soon as he turns the key. He then went and bought new 'hose clips' and tried those. The fuel filter still sprayed gas.

So, what I am now trying to find out is what could possibly be causing the fuel filter to spray the gas (leak). My husband (in his words) is a welder, not a modern car mechanic and is getting really stressed over this.

1. Does he need new or different sized little rubber rings?
2. Could the missing bolt that screws the large body of the filter to the car be causing this gas leak?
3. I read he should turn off the gas some where and then replace the filter, could this cause a gad leak issue because he did not do this before replacing the fuel filter?