Pediatric trauma surgeon weighs in on treating more juvenile shooting victims

WE LEARN MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, NOT ONLY ON WLWT TONIGHT, A SIDE OF YOUTH VIOLENCE. YOU DON’T OFTEN TALK ABOUT AFTER POLICE RESPOND AND A VICTIM IS WHISKED AWAY TO THE HOSPITAL, DOCTORS THEN TAKE THE BATON. A PEDIATRIC TRAUMA SURGEON SAT DOWN WITH WLWT INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER JATARA MCGEE TO TALK ABOUT THE GROWING NUMBER OF YOUNG VICTIMS. SHE’S LIVE RIGHT NOW FOR US CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL WITH THE STORY TONIGHT, JATYRA. WELL, MIKE, GOOD EVENING. I’VE CONFIRMED THAT THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN JUVENILES SHOT IN CINCINNATI IS AT A TEN YEAR HIGH. TONIGHT, YOU’LL HEAR FROM A RENOWNED PEDIATRIC TRAUMA SURGEON. HE STRENGTHENS THE CASE THAT YOUTH VIOLENCE IS GETTING WORSE AND IT IMPACTS FAR MORE THAN JUST THE KIDS. WHEN A YOUNG PERSON IS HIT BY GUNFIRE, THEY’RE PEDIATRIC TRAUMA SURGEON DR. VICTOR GARCIA IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE OPERATING ROOM FIGHTING TO SAVE THEM. IT’S JUST UNFATHOMABLE TO BE ABLE TO TO HAVE TO GO AND TELL A MOTHER AND A AND A FATHER THAT YOUR CHILD IS NO LONGER WITH US. AND IT’S NOT SOOTHING AT ALL TO BE ABLE TO SAY WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD. THE FACES OF VICTIMS AND THEIR PARENTS DON’T FADE EASILY. IT’S ONE THING IF YOU HAVE A CHILD THAT DIES BECAUSE OF CANCER, IT’S ANTICIPATED. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WHO IS SHOT, THAT IS TOTALLY UNEXPECTED AND YOU DON’T SEND YOUR CHILD OUT INTO WHAT YOU THINK IS GOING TO BE A WAR ZONE, STATISTICS THAT WE OBTAINED FROM CINCINNATI POLICE DATA ANALYSTS SHOW AN ALARMING TREND ON CINCINNATI STREETS. THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS THE NUMBER OF JUVENILES SHOT IN THE CITY IN THE LAST DECADE. 2023 IS ON THE FAR RIGHT. BUT FROM JANUARY THROUGH NOVEMBER 58TH, JUVENILES WERE SHOT, THE MOST BY FAR IN AT LEAST TEN YEARS. YEAR TO DATE, 2023 HAS THE MOST SHOOTING VICTIMS AGED SEVEN AND UNDER IN THE MOST AGES 8 TO 13. A 12 YEAR OLD WAS JUST GRAZED IN THE CHEST AND ARM FRIDAY IN OVER THE RHINE. THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS THIS YEAR, AGED 14 TO 17, SITS AT 45 LAST YEAR. AT THIS TIME, THERE WERE 32. GARCIA IS THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S TRAUMA SERVICES PROGRAM. HE SAYS GUN VIOLENCE ALSO LEAVES A SCAR ON STAFF LIFE. WHEN YOU ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT’S THE TOLL? THE TOLL IS QUITE, QUITE, QUITE TREMENDOUS. WE DO A DEBRIEFING AND THE EVENT THAT IT’S AN UNTOWARD OUTCOME. THE CHILD HAS DIED DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS. THERE’S A BURNOUT THAT OCCURS WITH THIS. HIS MOTIVATION KEEPING HIS WORD. FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO NOW. WHAT KEEPS ME GOING IS A PROMISE I MADE TO A MOTHER WHOSE CHILD DIED AND A PROMISE THAT I SAID THAT I WASN’T GOING TO BE CONTENT WITH JUST JUST SORT OF SAYING I DID THE BEST I CAN. YOU KNOW, ONE OF GARCIA’S PASSIONS IS WHAT HE CALLS A DECADES LONG OBSESSION, ADDRESSING INEQUALITIES IN OUR CITY’S URBAN CORE. HE SAYS A CHILD’S ZIP CODE IMPACTS THEIR CHANCES OF ENDING UP IN HIS OPERATING ROOM. WE’RE LIVE AT CHILDRE