From the mouth of an emergency room doctor Posted On: Friday, Nov. 6 2009 10:46 AM
Updated On: Friday, Nov. 6 2009 12:16 PM By Amanda Kim Stairrett
Killeen Daily Herald

FORT HOOD -- More than half of the victims who were taken to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center for care sustained multiple gunshot wounds, said Maj. Stephen Beckwith, Emergency Services director and emergency room doctor.

"There were a lot of rounds fired," he said. All of those who received care at Darnall were shot, he added.

Darnall's emergency room has 16 beds and at one point Thursday, all of them were full, Beckwith said. There were always enough beds for the victims because the staff worked quickly.

All but two existing patients in the emergency room were moved to other parts of the hospital to accommodate the gunshot victims.

Fort Hood has 40 EMS personnel, Beckwith, and when he first got the call, he sent his chief paramedic to the scene, which they knew was not secure at the time.
Some of the victims taken to Darnall did die, Beckwith said.

Fifteen had critical wounds -- gunshots to the head, chest and abdomen -- and were kept at Darnall, though four with those wounds were MEDEVACed from the scene at the Soldier Readiness Processing site to Scott & White hospital, Beckwith said. Ten to 15 had injuries to their extremities.

Several of the victims were taken to Darnall for initial treatment and then transported to other hospitals.
Most of the victims were "very lucid, very with it," Beckwith said.

Beckwith has served a 15-month tour in Iraq and said Thursday's shooting was "obviously frustrating." When soldiers are in Iraq, they are in the mindset and prepared for things like that to happen.

"It's tragic to see these things happen on post," he added.

Contact Amanda Kim Stairrett at astair@kdhnews.com or 254-501-7547.