Two people who saw the devastation firsthand tried to save one of those victims, according to our news partners at WCPO.
“Hardest part is when they say, ‘Stop. There’s nothing you can do,’” said James Williams.
He and Holly Redman were at the Oregon District early Sunday morning during the mass shooting.
Redman and another woman performed CPR on Logan Turner, a 30-year-old from Springboro who did not survive the shooting.
“We tried to save him, but he didn’t make it,” Redman said. “... I just want his parents to know we did everything possible to save him. Everything. Three people were on him and I was there when he took his last breath. It’s so hard.”
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While many people like Redman tried to help out at the scene, the trauma center at Miami Valley Hospital activated its disaster response and started treating victims. Most had gunshot wounds, but some were injured in the chaos that broke out during the attack.
Trauma Director Dr. Peter Ekeh said the coordinated response to the shooting helped save lives.
“It involved physicians, the nurses, the entire hospital and hospital system, as well as the community and first responders,” he said. “I saw evidence that the system worked.”
The drills and training they go through prepared them to respond to Sunday’s tragedy, Ekeh explained.
“What I saw when I same in and the events definitely convinced me of that,” Ekeh said. “That didn’t occur by accident. Drills help.”
The reality of what happened is starting to set in for many of these first responders, witnesses and medical professionals who had to deal with the bloodshed firsthand. Eke said that it’s not easy, but they can lean on each other to get through it all.
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