Veteran among good Samaritans who helped save gunshot victim in downtown Houston, police say
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Police are crediting the quick work of good Samaritans with saving a man who had been shot Tuesday night in downtown Houston.
It happened just after 9:30 p.m. on San Jacinto Street, where the man, who is believed to be homeless, was shot and then seen staggering out of a U-Haul center.
Witnesses say they heard gunshots and saw a man in a white T-shirt running away from the area. The next thing they knew, the victim was coming from the same area.
Those witnesses took immediate action, placing a tourniquet on the victim's leg and performing CPR as the victim's condition worsened.
According to police, the victim lost a substantial amount of blood, and if not for those good Samaritans, the man could have died before medical help arrived.
A military veteran is one of the people who jumped into action. He said he knew right away that a shooting took place and that the victim needed help.
"We applied a tourniquet on him until the EMTs and the firemen showed up. We tried to make sure to just keep him, chest compressions, and just try to keep him viable while we were waiting on help to come," said Reginald Franklin.
"They very well could have saved his life because he did lose a lot of blood," added HPD's R. Wilkins.
Police say they do have security camera footage of the incident. They are looking for the suspect.
At last check, the victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
