Officers from the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office provided gun education to NHRMC employees Tuesday afternoon at the Multidisciplinary Trauma Conference.
The officers brought an assortment of guns to display. Cpl. Wilson and Deputy Myles explained the difference between a shotgun, an AR-15, a machine gun and a sniper rifle. They answered questions, with Lt. Garris and Sgt. Thigpen adding insight and details.
Cpl. Wilson explained that the majority of gun violence in Wilmington is gang-related and drug-related and that the AR-15 is not a weapon of choice for gang members. Most shooting victims in Wilmington, he said, are somehow associated with gangs and/or drug trafficking.
To help educate trauma staff who treat gunshot victims, Lt. Garris and Sgt. Thigpen explained how different types of bullets harm shooting victims in different ways. Some bullets leave a large entry wound and others will leave multiple wounds, depending on how far the victim is from the gun.
Prompted by questions from the audience, the officers spoke on the topic of school safety and how school resource officers are deployed in New Hanover County. They answered questions about different types of weapons, their own body armor, and the availability of certain guns.