Blessing Trauma Team sees uptick in gunshot wound injuries

QUINCY (WGEM) - Authorities and medical professionals are seeing an uptick in gunshot wounds in Quincy.

This is a national issue and a real local concern.

Blessing Trauma Service Medical Director and Quincy Medical Group Surgeon Dr. Christian Zwick said gunshot wound related injuries have nearly doubled over the past two years.

In the past six years, more than 20% of those injuries have involved a patient under the age of 21.

“We used to see mostly around here hunting accidents,” Zwick said. “We certainly still see that, but now we’re seeing an uptick in gang violence, we see an uptick in suicide.”

Adams County Sheriff Anthony Grootens said they too have seen an increase gang violence.

“I know there may be an uptick in the accidents that occur during hunting seasons and stuff like that, but I think it’s more geared towards just the way society has turned with the violence, the way the violence has occurred over the last few years,” Grootens said.

In 2022, the Blessing Trauma Team saw a total of 11 gunshot wound related injuries. Where just two years earlier that number was only six.

Dr. Zwick said his staff see these increases as a large healthcare concern. He said treating gunshot wounds is difficult, and the staff at Blessing works hard to give appropriate trauma care.

“We can only do so much though, some of these victims are beyond our capacity, but we’re all seeing more, and we’re taking care of them,” Zwick said. “I mean we’re doing good work with them, but what can we do from it happening in the first place.”

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