Paramedics' radio traffic reveals danger and uncertainty during mass shooting in Raleigh
What paramedics experienced as they tried to help victims of Thursday's mass shooting in Raleigh offers a different perspective on the tragedy.
Radio traffic shows those first responders working through a dangerous situation near the Hedingham neighborhood in east Raleigh that would eventually end with five people dead and a sixth in critical condition.
The first alert went out at 5:13 p.m.
"it’s going to be an active shooter at this time," a dispatcher warned just three minutes later.
911 calls show rush to help in Hedingham
At that time, paramedics didn’t know where the shooter was, but didn’t waste time getting to the victims.
"All units proceed in, we're still trying to get a victim count at this time," radio traffic revealed around 5:22 p.m.
Paramedics found two people hurt on Sahalee Way.
"Sahalee Way has one CPR in progress; the other one is critical," a first responder on the scene relayed.
The victims were rushed to WakeMed.
A few minutes later around 5:30 p.m., a paramedic saw someone with a gun and wasn’t sure who it was.
"Got a white male with a green shirt and an AR-15 on Sahalee. I don’t know if that’s PD (a police officer) or someone else," he called out over the radio.
Just two minutes later, a new emergency.
Raleigh Police "just made me aware that there is a female possible Code 7 on the trail with a GSW to the head and two other patients," one paramedic told dispatchers. "I need an EMS unit here."
Code 7 is Wake EMS shorthand for a deceased person; GSW is a gunshot wound.
It would be several more minutes before paramedics reached the shooting victims on the greenway. When they arrived, there was nothing they could do.
"She’s gonna be Code 7. I’m going towards the second subject now. Ok, second subject again. GSW ... she’s also Code 7," a paramedic told dispatchers.
And with Raleigh Police still searching for the shooter, a paramedic on the greenway warns others to take caution.
"I have an RPD sergeant with me. The greenway is still a very much an active scene in a sense of not knowing where the subject is. If the ATVs wanna hold off, because both of the patients that we’ve found so far on the greenway are the ones that District 1 called in as Code 7."
