Surgeon warns that some shooting victims may never recover, while Texas governor urges community to focus on acts of bravery by soldiers rather than the horror of rampage.
The civilian surgeon overseeing the care of some of the most gravely wounded victims from Thursday’s Fort Hood shootings warned today that the death toll from the incident could still climb.
Dr. W. Roy Smythe, chief of surgery at Scott and White Hospital, which holds the nearest trauma centre to the massive military post, said that six military personnel cut down by the shooter remain in hospital.
“I would say that some of them are out of the woods, but some of them, their injuries are so severe that only time will tell how they’ll do in the long run," he said. Two patients remain in surgical intensive care and others may never fully recover.
“Some of these patients are young and sometimes young patients surprise you in regards to their rehabilitation. But there is a possibility that some of these patients will be physically impaired for the rest of their lives," he said.
“And there’s certainly no doubt many of them will be psychologically impaired for the rest of their lives."
Texas Governor Rick Perry spent Saturday morning visiting with many of the victims and their families at the hospital, which took in ten patients following Thursday’s shooting.
Looking exhausted and dressed fully in black, Gov. Perry said it was an “honour" to meet with the victims, including Sergeant Kim Munley, the civilian police officer being credited with cutting down the shooter, Major Nidal Hasan, to end his rampage.
“She is a very understated person who understands the gravity of what she did but also a classic public servant interested in getting on with her life," Gov. Perry said. “What I heard time after time in those hospital rooms is their honour to be able to serve our country."
Gov. Perry urged the Fort Hood community to focus on the elements of altruism drawn out by the incident – including the repeated displays of selflessness soldiers exhibited by throwing themselves in Maj. Hasan’s line of fire to tearing off their own clothes to use as makeshift bandages and tourniquets for the wounded – rather than the horror.
“From the instant the perpetrator opened fire, the better element of the human nature kicked in," he said, referring to the rescue efforts made by first-responders on the scene. “There is no telling how many lives they saved because of their selflessness."
The sacrifices made by soldiers at the scene, who were unarmed as per base rules, were the focus of a candlelight vigil held at an on-base stadium at dusk Friday night.
There, Douglas Carver, the Army’s chief chaplain, told the crowd of several hundred mourners to “remember to keep breathing ...keep going."
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