On June 12, 2016, a gunman entered a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 people and injuring 53. This incident was one of the deadliest shootings committed by a single person in the United States.
Amidst the shooting, the gunman called 911 to declare to “allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of the Islamic State”. Police and emergency personnel promptly arrived on-site and engaged in gunfire with the shooter. However, by the time they arrived at the nightclub, dozens were already wounded and killed.
The Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC), a Level I trauma center, took in critical condition patients, whereas patients less severely injured were taken to local community hospitals. The proximity of the nightclub to the hospitals increased the likelihood of patient survival, espeically for patients experiencing hemorrhagic shock.
James Toussaint’s case study analyzes the shooting and emphasizes the need for more accountability “upstream” (i.e. increased legal regulation of firearms distribution) to reduce the risk of a mass shootings.