A 40-year-old man was shot in the chest during a reported domestic dispute at a La Plata apartment complex early Saturday morning, and the attacker remained at large as emergency crews rushed him toward a waiting medevac helicopter. The man's own son called 911 to report that his father had been shot, according to initial emergency communications.
Emergency personnel responded to the 600 block of Pomonkey Way after the shooting was reported, as detailed by The BayNet. A caller indicated that a man and a woman had argued before the woman allegedly shot him, though authorities have not publicly confirmed the circumstances leading up to the shooting. Responders found the victim in the apartment building's lobby, and he was reportedly conscious, alert and breathing when they arrived.
Chest Seal Applied Before Helicopter Transport
Emergency medical personnel reported a single gunshot wound to the victim's chest and applied a chest seal while preparing him for transport, per the outlet's report.
Given the severity of the injury, emergency personnel requested a Maryland State Police helicopter for medical evacuation, and firefighters and EMS staff asked for a law enforcement officer to secure the landing zone near a nearby government building. Maryland State Police Aviation Command's Trooper 2 transported the victim to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, arriving at approximately 2:09 a.m. Trooper 2 flies out of Joint Base Andrews in an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter staffed by dual trooper-paramedics.
A Pioneering Program With Deep Roots
Maryland's state-run air medevac system traces back to March 19, 1970, when the state became the first in the nation to perform a civilian state police helicopter medevac, airlifting a critically injured crash victim directly to Baltimore's trauma unit in a program developed alongside University of Maryland medical leaders. R Adams Cowley developed the first clinical shock trauma unit, built around the “Golden Hour” principle that rapid critical care within 60 minutes of injury dramatically improves survival odds. The center now serves as Maryland's Primary Adult Resource Center for critical trauma, treating thousands of severe cases every year.
The victim's current condition has not been released, and authorities have not publicly confirmed the suspected shooter's identity or whether an arrest has been made. The incident remains under investigation.
A Block With a Painful History
The 600 block of Pomonkey Way has seen major gun violence before. In May 2021, 18-year-old Jazmiah Nelson was fatally shot while riding an ATV on the same block and was airlifted to Baltimore Shock Trauma, according to WUSA9.
Saturday's shooting adds to a troubling pattern in Maryland, where domestic violence advocacy groups recorded 47 intimate partner violence deaths statewide in a recent annual count, up from 41 the year before, according to CBS News. Prevention groups point to controlling behavior as a warning sign in these cases. Maryland responds to such calls through the Lethality Assessment Program.
