Crisp Regional Hospital activated trauma protocols after Sunday’s shooting
Two people were killed and 35 injured early Sunday in a mass shooting at a homecoming block party in Vienna, Ga., the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
The shooting occurred at 1:30 a.m. in the city of about 3,000 located approximately 140 miles south of Atlanta, according to the GBI. Medical officials later identified the two deceased as men aged 20 and 23.
Deputies from the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office were already on patrol near the homecoming weekend event because of the size of the crowd when the shooting occurred, the GBI said in a statement. Shortly thereafter, the deputies encountered several injured people and later discovered the bodies of the two men nearby.
Crisp Regional Hospital in Cordele, Ga., began receiving injured patients shortly after 2 a.m. and activated its trauma and emergency response protocols, the hospital said in a statement. Medics “immediately activated its trauma and emergency response protocols, bringing in all available personnel to care for the injured,” the hospital said, and “trauma teams, emergency physicians, nurses, surgical teams and support staff worked together throughout the early morning hours to provide critical care, stabilize patients and coordinate transfers to other facilities when a higher level of care was required.”
By 2 p.m. EDT Sunday, 26 patients associated with the Vienna shooting had arrived at Crisp Regional, with two transferred to other facilities for additional care and two others requiring emergency surgery, the hospital reported. Several others were admitted for continued care, while “many patients” were treated and released.
“The tragic events of this morning simply should not happen in our otherwise peaceful South Georgia communities,” said hospital CEO Steven Gautney. “On behalf of our entire organization and medical staff, we extend our deepest, most heartfelt condolences to the victims, their families and everyone affected by this tragedy.”
The Dooly County School System said in a statement that its leaders were “deeply saddened by the overnight shooting in Vienna.” Although the homecoming gathering was not a school-sponsored event, Superintendent of Schools Sherrod Willaford said the district recognized that its impact “may reach many of our students, families, and staff.”
The district has taken “additional proactive safety measures” to be in place when school opens Monday and has activated crisis support teams to assist those affected, Willaford said. He asked residents to “refrain from sharing unverified names, information, or graphic images” to respect the privacy of affected families.
The GBI did not announce any suspect identifications or arrests as of Sunday afternoon.