COLORADO, USA — As President Joe Biden calls for a ban on so-called assault weapons, a doctor in Colorado wants to share what they can do to the human body.
Dr. Comilla Sasson was working in the emergency department at University of Colorado Hospital when a man killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a movie theater in Aurora in 2012. She's taught to prepare for mass casualty events, but that night was different.
"I have been an ER doc now for 18 years," she said. "I have never seen wounds like that before."
On Monday, she talked about the AR-15-style rifle again. It's the type of gun used in Aurora and many other mass shootings including the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas last week.
"Those are the wounds where you think - gosh - this isn't a regular bullet wound," she said.
According to Sasson, a victim who has been hit by a bullet from a handgun has an entry wound and an exit wound. She said a person will most likely survive the gunshot wound unless that bullet goes through a vital organ or hits an artery. With an AR-15-style weapon, Sasson said the chances of survival can be slim.
"These shockwaves go through the body and destroy different organs," she said. "There are bone fragments. There's livers that are completely destroyed. Spleens that are ruptured, which means you bleed out and die right away."
With severe injuries like this, the quick response from police allowed Sasson's team to save 22 out of 23 people. The impact is difficult to talk about, but Sasson will keep sharing.
"Because I think people need to understand this is not a handgun you are using to keep yourself safe," she said.
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