MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Amid the chaos of Thursday’s shooting at Cummings K-8 School, a hero emerged. SCS Superintendent Joris Ray praised the steps “Nurse Taylor” took to save the life of the 13-year-old victim.
Friday, school nurse Karen Taylor spoke exclusively with WREG.
Taylor was among the first people to make contact with the 13-year-old student, minutes after he was shot. The two spoke inside the counselor’s office.
“He was just kind of slumped over, and I sat next to him, and he put his hand on my shoulder. He said ‘Nurse,’ I said, ‘What’s going on, baby?’ He said, ‘Nurse, I been shot.’”
Taylor begin applying pressure to his gunshot wound until paramedics arrived.
She also called his family.
After 53 years of working in health care, Taylor says it was all second nature.
“Nothing surprises me, and I’ve been in situations where firemen have been killed, police officer been shot,” Taylor said. “We have to get with it, just get on it, and whatever it is you got to, you don’t think about anything else but doing what you got to do to take care of that situation.”
As the school moves forward, many at Cummings K-8 will forever be talking about the action of Nurse Taylor.
“I don’t think I’m a hero. I just think I was at the right place at the right time,” she said. “I’m glad I am a nurse, and I’ve loved my profession, but I’m glad I was here to help a child, and help anybody that that needs it.”
The shooting began with a fight between two students, according to statements given to police.
The victim of the shooting is expected to make a full recovery. He was shot in the right abdomen. The alleged shooter, who is also 13, was in Juvenile Court on Friday and is expected to face an attempted murder charge.
