In the first episode of our television series “The Injured,” a family from Kansas recalls Valentine’s Day as the start of panic attacks, a traumatic event that changed their life, and nightmares about gunshots.
The shootings have thrust them into the public eye, and they are unsure of how they will fare.
In the premiere episode of our TV show “The Injured,” a Kansas family remembers Valentine’s Day as the beginning of panic attacks, a life-altering traumatic experience, and dreams involving gunfire.
They are unsure of how they will fare now that they are in the public eye due to the shootings. In order to get to downtown Kansas City, Missouri, from Osawatomie, Kansas, Barton drove 50 miles with his wife Bridget, his 13-year-old daughter Gabriella, and Gabriella’s friend from school.
Upon their arrival at home that evening, they discovered a gunshot in Bridget’s rucksack and had to clean up blood from Gabriella’s footwear. Barton went 50 miles from Osawatomie, Kansas, to downtown Kansas City, Missouri, with his wife Bridget, daughter Gabriella, 13, and Gabriella’s school friend.
When they got home that night, they had to clean up Gabriella’s boot blood and found a gunshot wound in Bridget’s backpack. Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate life and the people in it, so Gabriella declared, “There’s never going to be a Valentine’s Day where I look back and I don’t think about it.
” The Bartons are in shock by their presence in the center of the gun violence epidemic in the United States, one month after the parade that featured live television coverage of the problem.
The deceased 43-year-old Lisa Lopez-Galvan was merely feet away from them. There were twenty-four more casualties. Even though the Bartons aren’t included among the official victims, they experienced bodily and emotional suffering, and pain is a constant in their lives: Instead of going out,
Bridget and Jason frequently postpone their plans and instead to remain home together; Gabriella choose to join a boxing club rather than the dancing team. Community leaders in Kansas City have been debating how to care for those caught in the violent crossfire and how to allocate the more than $2 million that was contributed to public coffers for victims during the first month of the outpouring of grief.
The inquiries are extensive: In what ways does a city reimburse residents for their medical expenses, rehabilitation programs, therapy, and missed income? What about people who experience symptoms similar to PTSD that may persist for years? In the early stages of reporting after a mass shooting, how does a community identify and care for victims who are frequently forgotten: the injured? The list of injured may get longer.
Four of the shooting suspects are the target of a legal case being built by prosecutors and Kansas City police, who are also urging more victims to come forward. We are specifically searching for people who were injured while attempting to flee.
over who should receive the money and
As people were attempting to escape, there was a stampede, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker. Anybody who “fell down, got trampled, sprained an ankle, or broke a bone while fleeing this event.” In the meantime, those in charge of gathering funds and offering services to tend to the injured are battling who shouldn’t.
A substantial amount of money donated by well-known people like Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift will allow some victims and their families to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical costs. It’s possible that other victims will just receive therapy.
Individuals who spearheaded fund-raising efforts and offered services to assist in the recovery of injured parties are currently battling over who should receive the money and who shouldn’t.
Some victims or their families will have access to hundreds of thousands of dollars for medical expenditures because of significant donations from celebrities like Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
Perhaps the counseling needs of other victims will just be met. Executives at United Way of Greater Kansas City convened to plan a coordinated fundraising response in the immediate wake of the shootings, as well-meaning GoFundMe accounts appeared to aid victims.
According to Jessica Blubaugh, chief philanthropy officer of the United Way, they developed “three concentric circles of victims” and started the #KCStrong campaign.
In the immediate wake of the shootings, executives at United Way of Greater Kansas City met to prepare a coordinated fundraising response, while victims appeared to get assistance from well-meaning GoFundMe pages. The United Way’s chief philanthropy officer, Jessica Blubaugh, claims that they created “three concentric circles of victims” and launched the #KCStrong campaign. The day after the incident,
Bridget Barton went back to Kansas City to give a statement at police headquarters and turn in the bullet she discovered in her backpack.
She was unaware that the police and fire chiefs, along with Mayor Quinton Lucas, had just concluded a press conference outside the building.
The reporters gathered there surrounded her, asking questions that now seem hazy. When she eventually made it inside, she recalled saying to a detective, “I don’t know how you guys do this every day.
” The Bartons are nearly worn out from the outpouring of support they have received from close friends and family while they work through the pain. Taking to social media, Bridget clarified that she wasn’t ignoring the messages, but rather replying as she felt able. She even admitted that there are days when she finds it difficult to glance at her phone.
