4 shooting victims still in intensive care
Four people remained in critical condition, with one in a "deep coma,"in a Montreal hospital intensive-care unit Thursday after being shot at a Montreal junior college a day earlier.
Dr. Tarek Razek, director of trauma services at Montreal General Hospital, said six women and five men were admitted to the hospital following a gunman's rampagethrough Dawson College on Wednesday.
Late Thursday afternoon, he said four of thevictims werestill in hospital but out of intensive care,and three had been released. The other four were still in critical condition,Razek said — and one was in a "deep coma."
"There are wounds in the head, in the extremities, in the thorax, in the chest,"he told reporters at a news conference.
Asked about their chances of surviving their injuries,Razek said it was a good sign that they had endured the first 24 hours since the shooting.
"Every 24-hour block is important for every patient, but it depends if we can get through the upcoming hours."
Razek said some of the victims, who range in age from 17 to 48, suffered multiple gunshot wounds, while others had been shot only once.
Among 20 people shot at Dawson College
The people in hospitalwere among20shot at the school duringtherampage, which ended whengunman Kimveer Gill died in a shootout with police.
Second-year business student Anastasia DeSousa, 18,died inside the school after being shot, Montreal paramedics said. Her body was removed from the building early Thursday morning.
Razeksaid the hospital is not used to seeing so many trauma patients simultaneously, but was able to accommodate them becausethe shootings occurred during the middle of a week day when the hospital was fully staffed.
"I can say that all of the services did an unbelievable job," he said.
Hospital sent into 'code orange'
Razek said the hospital went to "code orange"when it was alerted that a major event involving many injuries was occurring in the city. "We had a pre-notification that there were something significant happening on the scene," he said.
The hospital's trauma team flew into action, assessing the patients andorganizing the different types of care they required. Specialists, including plastic surgeons, were on standby while the patients were treated.
Two other victims, both women,were taken to Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, one with slight injuries to her leg and the other with a gunshot wound to her leg.
The patient with the gunshot wound had surgery and isin good condition, according to Dr. Marc Afilalo, chief of emergency medicine for the hospital.
Emotional fallout expected
The director of emergency psychiatric services at the McGill University Health Centre, which includes the Montreal General Hospital, said thevictims arelikely to experiencea broadrange ofemotional reactions.
"When such a tragic and unexpected event occurs, the first response is to be in shock. There is a certain amount of confusion. People don't know what is going on, they are looking for information and they are trying to figure it out," saidDr. Karine-Josee Iguartua.
"After the confusion goes away, shock sets in, and people begin to realize the extent of the damage, physical and psychological damage, not onlyto themselves, butto their friends and family.
"Yesterday, we were seeing an atmosphere of confusion. Now the confusion is subsiding, we are dealing with shock, grief, denial, horror and anger. It'sreally a sense that people's security has been shattered. It's an event so unexpected in Montreal. People are starting to ask the question: are we safe?"
Iguartua said the "psychological fallout" from the shootingscouldincludepost-traumatic stress disorder, a syndrome that includes symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, aninability to concentrate and constantly reliving the event.
Media coverage of the tragedy may not help, she added.
"There's a balance between getting the information you need and being overwhelmed with these images of the event that people keep seeing over and over again," she said. "It could re-traumatize people."