SAN ANTONIO TX (Reuters] – The trauma doctor who treated three victims in the Texas school shooting has said that it was “crushing” for them to attend to the victims of the latest mass shooting within five years.

It’s a little crushing to think that there have been two trauma centers in the past five years,” said Dr. Lillian Liao (pediatric trauma medical director, University Hospital San Antonio), in a Zoom interview.

Liao, a mother herself of two children, stated that she’s treating one 9-year-old child and two 10-year-olds who were injured in Uvalde’s shooting at the trauma centre. One child was in serious, but stable condition while the others are stable. They may not be able to leave the hospital for days, or even a month.

After beating his wife and stepson, a man from the U.S. Air Force shot 26 people at a Sutherland Springs Church, just 30 miles (50km), east of San Antonio. Then he killed himself. Uvalde lies about 80 miles from San Antonio.

Liao stated, “Unfortunately or fortunately…it’s really difficult because we had to experience Sutherland Springs 2017 in 2017.”

We had to go through the mass casualty event experience, so we know that not only are there injuries but also all psycho-social consequences.

Liao stated that she’s seen an increase in gun-related injuries since the outbreak in 2020. This is not due to gun violence but because of accidents. It could have been avoided if weapons were stored safely and guns locked up.

About 10% of injuries she receives in a year were firearm-related, and this number has steadily risen over the years.

Salvador Ramos (aged 18) shot and killed his grandmother in the most tragic school shooting in almost a decade. He then ran away from Robb Elementary School near Uvalde.

After making his way to the school, he shot dead at least 21 students before being shot by police. The gunman shot at least 17 victims, including his grandmother and children.

With the news that the husband and father of one of those slain teachers had suffered a heart attack while making arrangements for his wife’s funeral, the human toll from the massacre grew.