HERSHEY – Shortly after noon Monday, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center received the initial call that several pediatric trauma patients from a reported school shooting in Lancaster County may be on their way to the Medical Center to receive treatment for gunshot wounds.
Within 15-minutes of the initial call, Penn State Hershey Medical Center’s Life Lion air medical helicopter touched down at the scene to begin transporting patients.
The Medical Center activated its external disaster plan, Level Yellow. Six trauma teams, including neurosurgery, pediatric surgery and pediatric intensive care, were placed on standby to prepare to care for the inbound patients.
Two patients reported to be ages 13 and 8 were transferred to the shock trauma center at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. The 13-year-old patient was taken into surgery for treatment of a gunshot wound. That child remains in surgery and in critical condition at this time. The 8-year-old, who was still receiving treatment in the Medical Center’s shock trauma center as of 2:30 p.m., is listed in critical condition.
A third patient, approximate age 6, was transferred to the Medical Center from another hospital to receive care related to gunshot wounds. That patient arrived at approximately 1:35 p.m. and also is in critical condition.
The Medical Center care teams are doing everything possible for these patients. However, gunshot wounds are extremely serious.
The Medical Center will attempt to make family members as comfortable as possible during this horrible tragedy. At this time, the Medical Center has not had direct contact with any family members of the shooting victims.
The Medical Center has set aside a separate area in the hospital to provide family members with as much privacy as possible. It will serve as a central location to provide them with timely updates about the condition and treatment of their loved ones. The Medical Center’s interfaith pastoral services team makes chaplains available to families and our interfaith chapel is open and available to them as well.
The Medical Center asks members of the media to please be respectful of these families and the care teams who work to provide the best care possible for the injured.