Hear Paramedic Ben Rothermel describe the incident in his own words in the latest coverage of the shooting.
Julian Shen-Berro
The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
RALEIGH, N.C. — A Wake County EMS worker was shot Saturday evening while responding to a call at a Juneteenth Day celebration in Raleigh.
The shooting took place just after 6:45 p.m. at Roberts Park on East Martin Street, according to a news release from the Raleigh Police Department.
When officers arrived on scene, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound and took him to the hospital for treatment.
His injuries were not life-threatening, police said.
The victim of the shooting was an EMS worker, according to a Wake County news release Saturday night.
An EMS crew was responding to a call about a person who had fallen down during the Juneteenth celebration when they heard gunfire, the release said.
The crew took cover behind an ambulance, the county said. A bullet struck one of the paramedics and another was believed to have hit the ambulance.
The paramedic was released from the hospital by around 11 p.m. Saturday night, said Leah Holdren, a spokeswoman for the county.
A shooter has not been identified, The News & Observer’s news partner, ABC11, reported. WRAL reported that authorities don’t believe the shooting targeted the EMS worker.
Saturday was the state’s first officially recognized Juneteenth Day. The day, which became a federal holiday on Thursday, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
The Raleigh Police Department declined to comment when asked if a suspect or motive had been identified, citing the ongoing investigation.
As of June 17, a total of 42 shooting injuries had been reported this year in Raleigh. In the same time frame, 12 people in the city had been killed by gun violence.
(c)2021 The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Original post:
Julian Shen-Berro
The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
RALEIGH, N.C. — A Wake County EMS worker was shot Saturday evening while responding to a call at a Juneteenth Day celebration in Raleigh.
The shooting took place just after 6:45 p.m. at Roberts Park on East Martin Street, according to a news release from the Raleigh Police Department.
When officers arrived on scene, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound and took him to the hospital for treatment.
His injuries were not life-threatening, police said.
The victim of the shooting was an EMS worker responding to a call during the Juneteenth celebration, said Leah Holdren, a spokeswoman for Wake County.
The paramedic was released from the hospital by around 11 p.m. Saturday night, she added.
A shooter has not been identified, The News & Observer’s news partner, ABC11, reported. WRAL reported that authorities don’t believe the shooting targeted the EMS worker.
Saturday was the state’s first officially recognized Juneteenth Day. The day, which became a federal holiday on Thursday, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African American people.
The N&O has reached out to the Raleigh Police Department and Wake EMS for more information about the shooting.
This is a developing story, and will be updated as more information becomes available.
___
(c)2021 The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)