How my day went yesterday (first GSW)

SafetyPro2

SafetyPro2

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So this is how my day went yesterday. I was covering the ambulance for one of our normal daytime guys (who had to go to a meeting with our dispatch). I had just left home to take the ambulance back at 5 when we got toned for a gunshot victim. Can't go into too much detail obviously, but here's the synopsis that's been released in the news.

FYI, the DOA wasn't found until much later and would have been unsavable regardless. Last I heard, the PT we transported is stable.

If anything else gets released, I'll post it.

Man Killed, Another Injured In Shooting

(CBS) SIERRA MADRE, Calif. A shooting left one man dead and another was hospitalized Tuesday in extremely critical condition.

Police found a man’s body inside a car parked in the 100 block of West Carter Avenue around 5 p.m. Monday, according to Deputy Rich Pena of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

The other man suffered several gunshot wounds, Deputy Luis Castro said.

No immediate arrests were made, Pena said.
 
A more thorough article has been released in the local paper. Here's a brief bit from it (the link's at the bottom).

1 man dead, 1 injured in shooting
Slaying is first Sierra Madre homicide in more than 3 years
By Marshall Allen Staff Writer

SIERRA MADRE - Police were investigating Tuesday a shooting that left one man dead and another in "extremely serious condition," but said they knew little about the circumstances surrounding the incident.


The shooting was the first homicide in Sierra Madre in more than three years.


Police were called at about 5:20 p.m. Monday to 1 Carter Ave., where they found one man who had sustained gunshot wounds and another dead in a car, said Sierra Madre Police Chief Marilyn Diaz.


Lt. Larry Lincoln of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department homicide bureau said he did not know why the men, both Latinos, were shot.


The victims appeared to be in their 20s, Lincoln said, but they have not been identified.


The injured man is unable to speak.


"We're hoping that the surviving individual can recover enough to give us some information about what took place and who he is and who the car belonged to," Lincoln said.

Read more here.
 
That's really surprising for your area. I'll be interested to see future news stories.

Was the call one of your more challenging? I've never had a GSW, so I wouldn't know what to compare it to, but I'm guessing it would be pretty intense.
 
It was definitely the most severe trauma case I've been on since the fatal motorcycle accident I was on during my ridealong back during my initial training, and this one was more challenging because the PT was conscious and in a lot of pain. Airway control was our biggest issue due to facial trauma.

This was definitely a strange one for our town. Most of the GSWs we do get are of the self-inflicted variety, and those thankfully are rare too. As the article stated, it was the first homicide in about 3 years. I think they must be referring to the instance where a drug dealer pulled a gun on an off-duty cop in a local bar and was shot for doing so...of course, that one was fully justified. That was shortly before I joined the department.
 
I suppose I ought to introduce myself first. My name Is Steve, I am 41, married with two sons, and work for a large Hospital in orth Carolina as the Asst. Manager of their print shop. I am actually an EMT student at present; I took the class in the Spring semester, but was not satisfied with my grade, so I am planning on taking the class over in the Fall semester. I figure this is too important for me to try and squeak by on a high C, so I'd rather take it over, be ahead of the class, and get a really good grade.

Anyway, when we did our clinical ride-alongs, the very first time, I had a GSW. Shot 3 X with a .357. I have never seen so much blood in my life! he was almost gone when we got there, but we were able to stabilize him and get him to the hospital in enough time. His Femoral artery got clipped by one of the bullets, and I held pressure on him the whole way. If there was ever a chance for me to go back to my job running copies, and be happy with that life? It flew out the window the minute I got on board that Ambulance.^_^
 
Song of November said:
Anyway, when we did our clinical ride-alongs, the very first time, I had a GSW. Shot 3 X with a .357. I have never seen so much blood in my life! he was almost gone when we got there, but we were able to stabilize him and get him to the hospital in enough time. His Femoral artery got clipped by one of the bullets, and I held pressure on him the whole way. If there was ever a chance for me to go back to my job running copies, and be happy with that life? It flew out the window the minute I got on board that Ambulance.^_^
Click to expand...
Great run and great story. Welcome to the fun world of EMS and welcome to EMTLife!

Oh, and I applaud you for wanting to go back and do better, especially doing it for yourself!
 
Wow first shooting in 3 years?I guess from watching too much tv I'm thinking there would be running gun battles all over LA county every day.Ever since Katrina it seems we can't go 3 months without a gsw,usually the fatal kind,and we're out in the sticks 65 miles from New Orleans.

Last one I had was kinda odd,it was called in as an MVA but turned out to be a homicide.When I arrived one of our 1st responders was on the scene and told me we had 1 vehicle 1 pt. DOA.I'm looking at the car and thinking "hmm,doesn't look like enough damage to kill somebody",checked the victim and he appears to be a young man in pretty good shape.We were checking him from the driver's side window and couldn't really get a good view of him as the car was in a ditch and the seat was laid back a bit plus he was laying back at an odd angle.I went around to the other side of the ditch,knocked down some bushes that were in the way and went in thru the back door.That's when I discovered the exit wound in his forehead and realized we had a crime scene on our hands.Shooter has yet to be found.
 
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