Author’s note: My personal reflection about the Sutherland Springs mass shooting was written before the horrific events at Stoneman Douglas High School and Santa Fe High School. The chorus of voices has only increased in amplitude regarding the calls to responsible action on firearm safety. While a larger debate continues in Washington, DC, I ask myself again: What can I do now as a medical provider to make a difference? The answer remains the same: Ask patients about firearm access and safety. Pledge today to hold yourself accountable, and encourage your colleagues to do the same regardless of political or ideological views. For a summary of further actions that ACP supports regarding firearm violence, see its position paper in Annals of Internal Medicine.
“We have a mass casualty event. We are expecting 30-40 shooting victims with injuries from high-velocity rounds. We need you at the hospital.”
“What? On a Sunday afternoon? In Texas?”
After I hung up the phone, my thoughts immediately started racing about the details of the phone call. What local events were occurring … was it a mall? Could it be the air show that I had just visited yesterday with my wife and kids? Wait, did I hear 30-40 victims shot with high-velocity rounds … by one person?
Is this really happening … again?
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