Report of man shooting himself at gun shop raises PTSD comments

It is not known at this time if this was a soldier or not but the comments left on this article are something that should be discussed.

Gun Shop Shooting Victim In Critical Condition In Local Hospital
A man who walked into a local gun shop late Friday morning and then shot himself was in critical condition after undergoing surgery.
Reporter: Drew Douglas
KILLEEN (July 15, 2011)—A 28-year-old man who walked into a Killeen gun shop late Friday morning and then shot himself in the head was in critical condition after undergoing surgery, police said.

The shooting was reported just after 11:20 a.m. Friday at Guns Galore at 4220 South Highway 195.

Several employees were in the store at the time of the shooting.

The victim, whose name was not released, was flown to Scott & White Hospital in Temple and was in the intensive care unit Friday afternoon after surgery.
Gun Shop Shooting Victim In Critical Condition

This is from an Army Wife, knowing what it is like to have a husband with PTSD and what they have to go through.

Army Wife Location: Copperas Cove on Jul 15, 2011 at 06:48 PM
This is such a tragic story. I find it offensive and unfair that anyone would blame this incident on a video game. I'm curious to know if he is a soldier, being an Army wife and having a husband who has been deployed several times and is dealing with his injuries and severe PTSD, I know how difficult life can get for these men and women. It's a life long battle with PTSD and seeing what they have seen. I can also say the Army really needs to step up better as well as the VA to provide a better quality of care for the PTSD patients and a more effective and efficient quality of care. You can no longer just medicate these people and send them on their way. Our country needs to stand by and support these soldiers just as they did while they were defending your freedom. I pray for this guy to make a full recovery, and get the help he needs and I pray for his family and friends.

Then this is from a VA employee defending the VA.

VA Employee on Jul 16, 2011 at 12:16 AM in reply to Army Wife
Army Wife things may not be perfect with all systems but the DOD and VA are doing everything they can for our Veterans that have PTSD and other injuries. I am a disabiled Combat Veteran and a VA employee and I can say that I get great care for the most part. The key is the Service Member or Veteran has to be willing to get the treatment. But to really put it into perspective for you, you should think about what the Vetniam Veterans went through. Next time you see one of them thank them for the treatment your husband recives.

Well, at least that is what they are told. It is not just a matter of the veteran wanting to get help. They need the right kind of help and that does not come from a bottle of pills alone. Then they need to have money coming in to live on. The backlog of claims and claims tied up on appeal mean more stress. How are they expected to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies without any income?

But this is not the only thing that is still wrong in this country. This is!

Army Wife: As a retired soldier and combat veteran of 3 wars I have to say that many of the soldiers today use PTSD as a crutch. It is well known that if they claim PTSD they get much more VA % when they get out. I have been to these two current war zones and most of the soldiers there do not see combat or anything horrifying. They have AAFES, Burger King, Pizza, movies, etc, plus they get all the $$ benefits which the wives spend foolishly back here. Before you cry about how bad today's soldier has it, talk to someone that has benn in a war where over 50,000 brave men died horrific deaths. Stop your whinning about PTSD.

"Stop whining about PTSD" is still in too many minds and the rant about PTSD veterans claiming it for money. The Army Wife knows what reality is but the anonymous comment left was clearly done by someone without a clue and perhaps, without any kind of compassion left inside. He/she must have missed what Vietnam actually did to the survivors. By 1978 there were 500,000 with PTSD from Vietnam but even after all these years this person seems more willing to block out what he/she does not want to know.


So here is an article about what is done after a cop is shot to help recovering for him, his family as well as the entire force.

Counselors consider emotional impact after Snyder officer's shooting
Even though police Cpl. Darrell Campbell's condition has improved in the days after his life-threatening gunshot to the head, his condition remained critical Saturday evening,
Posted: July 16, 2011


Since the 41-year-old Snyder police corporal was wounded responding to a report of shots fired just after midnight Tuesday in Snyder, his family, friends and colleagues likely have already started the process of coping with the trauma from that violent morning.

Counselors are left with providing emotional and spiritual support as those involved try to make sense of the incident that, along with Campbell’s injuries, left his accused attacker dead and another officer with the burden of pulling the trigger.

“There’s no magic words that can be said,” said Ben Todd, a senior chaplain at Covenant Medical Center. “With any trauma, there’s going to be some grief.”

read more here
Counselors consider emotional impact

This happened to one officer after being wounded and to another after pulling the trigger. This happens all the time in combat yet when it happens there, they are not surrounded by an army of people willing to help them afterwards. They have their buddies but no one seems to think of the fact they are also dealing with what happened and in need of help themselves. We can understand what we want to but then what we don't want to understand is simply dismissed and people like the above don't care who gets hurt for their ignorance.