Hospital workers recall treating victims of Allen Premium Outlets mass shooting
MCKINNEY, Texas - The mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets was an unprecedented moment for doctors and nurses who treated the victims.
The most seriously wounded victims were rushed to one hospital, and we are now hearing the staff's account of that day.
Patients were treated at three Medical City hospitals, but the most critically injured were rushed to Medical City McKinney, which is level 2 trauma center.
The director was at a wedding in Dallas when she got the call about the mass shooting.
She said she mobilized the command center while in her car and headed north.
Back on Saturday, May 6, just after 3:30 p.m., 911 calls began to flood Allen dispatch after a gunman opened fire on people at the Allen Premium Outlets.
"Are you calling about the shooting? Just stay down and stay safe," a dispatcher told a 911 caller.
There were reports of several injured.
Allen EMS needed lots of help.
"Can you send any medics you have available? We have multiple victims," an Allen dispatcher asked Plano EMS.
Allen Outlets Shooting: 8 victims killed, 7 injured; shooter 'neutralized'
Authorities responded to the Allen Premium Outlets to investigate a shooting Saturday afternoon that killed eight victims and sent others to hospitals, with a victim as young as 5 years old.
Video from SKY4 captured a line of ambulances at the mall, ready to transport the wounded.
The first victim, 46-year-old Irvin Walker, would arrive at Medical City McKinney within 14 minutes.
"So at that time, I quickly made my way to the hospital, where we set up the command center," said Cassidi Summers, chief nursing officer at Medical City McKinney.
They called in dozens of nurses, doctors, surgeons, and support staff.
Another seven critically injured patients quickly followed.
Medical City McKinney had just received its level 2 trauma designation last year.
The ER staff was ready.
"What that means is we have all of the resources necessary to deal with multiple trauma patients arriving at any given moment 24 hours a day," explained Kevin Martens, emergency director for Medical City McKinney.
Those resources include a blood bank and surgeon in the building at all times, along with dedicated rooms to deal with those traumas.
"Our team responded with skill and precision, and most importantly, compassion during this event," Summers recalled.
"In the middle of that, we didn't have time for emotions. We're well trained to respond in emergency situations to take care of our patients, and that's really what I saw at the hospital that day," said Elizabeth Kim, trauma director for Medical City McKinney.
How to help Allen Premium Outlets shooting victims and their families
Hundreds of thousands of dollars are being donated for the Allen Premium Outlets mass shooting victims and their families.
Sadly, eight people died that day.
But thanks to the quick action of dispatch, first responders, and hospital staff at Medical City McKinney, other lives were saved.
"We train for it. We train in a way that you hope to never be tested on it, but when the test day comes like it did on this day, we are able to show and prove that the program worked and did exactly what it was meant to do," Kim added.
In addition to counseling services, staff does have access to therapy dogs.
Medical City Healthcare is still treating five patients from the mass shooting. All are said to be in good condition.