A teacher in Santa Clarita kept a gunshot wound kit in her classroom. It helped save a shooting victim's life.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Katie Holt's decision to have a gunshot wound kit in her classroom wasn't just a sobering reminder of America's mass shooting reality. On Thursday, it likely saved a life.
Holt, a choir teacher Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, used that kit to wrap the wounds of a student who ran into her room after she'd been shot. The student survived — but in this case, that single kit was barely enough, NBC News reports.
Two students were killed and three more were hurt when a 16-year-old fellow student opened fire over a 16-second period as school began Thursday morning. Those injured included the freshman girl Holt treated, who was among 30 to 40 who rushed into Holt's room. "The rookie teacher, who started in January, quickly wheeled a grand piano in front of the door and ushered dozens of her students into an office, locking the door behind them," The New York Times writes.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But after confirming the girl had been shot twice, Holt left the office and got her gunshot wound kit — she "only had one," she said. Holt wrapped the girl's wounds on her shoulder and torso while a "really brave freshman" helped apply pressure, she tells NBC News. And all around her, students were muffling their crying while one called the police and another "grabbed a fire extinguisher — just in case the gunman made it inside," the Times continued.
The alleged shooter was found after more than an hourlong search in the surrounding neighborhood and as schools in the district were locked down. The suspect was taken to a hospital for treatment of presumably self-inflicted gunshot wounds in the head and is still alive.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Political cartoons for February 14Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include a Valentine's grift, Hillary on the hook, and more
-
Tourangelle-style pork with prunes recipeThe Week Recommends This traditional, rustic dish is a French classic
-
The Epstein files: glimpses of a deeply disturbing worldIn the Spotlight Trove of released documents paint a picture of depravity and privilege in which men hold the cards, and women are powerless or peripheral
-
Maxwell pleads 5th, offers Epstein answers for pardonSpeed Read She offered to talk only if she first received a pardon from President Donald Trump
-
Hong Kong jails democracy advocate Jimmy LaiSpeed Read The former media tycoon was sentenced to 20 years in prison
-
Ex-Illinois deputy gets 20 years for Massey murderSpeed Read Sean Grayson was sentenced for the 2024 killing of Sonya Massey
-
Sole suspect in Brown, MIT shootings found deadSpeed Read The mass shooting suspect, a former Brown grad student, died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds
-
France makes first arrests in Louvre jewels heistSpeed Read Two suspects were arrested in connection with the daytime theft of royal jewels from the museum
-
Trump pardons crypto titan who enriched familySpeed Read Binance founder Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to enabling money laundering while CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange
-
Thieves nab French crown jewels from LouvreSpeed Read A gang of thieves stole 19th century royal jewels from the Paris museum’s Galerie d’Apollon
-
Arsonist who attacked Shapiro gets 25-50 yearsSpeed Read Cody Balmer broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion and tried to burn it down
