Doctors at Connally Memorial Medical Center in Floresville are reliving what happened the day of the First Baptist Church shooting in Sutherland Springs.
"Including those younger patients, they were very brave," said Dr. Kenneth Kingdon, emergency department physician. "They were cooperative, scared, but did very well."
Patients came in minutes after being shot. At 11:36 a.m., the hospital got its first call that an active shooter situation was unfolding only 15 minutes away.
"There was nervous staff of course," Dr. Kingdon described. "But they all responded professional and quickly, in the mode of getting patients and take care of them."
Forty minutes later, the first patient arrived at the hospital's emergency room and 45 minutes after that, the last of eight patients arrived. The ages ranged from 7 to 73 years old.
"These things don't occur in small towns on a regular basis, but staff is well trained," Dr. Kingdon noted.
Doctors could not comment on any specific injuries but did say that many patients came in with multiple gunshot wounds. Four patients were flown to University Hospital in San Antonio in critical, but stable condition.
Doctors also said that they knew many of the patients and it will take time to heal from the tragedy.
"The wounds that stick with trauma patients are the psychological wounds," Dr. Kingdon said. "They, as well as the town, they'll have to deal with that for some time now."