WASHINGTON — A firefighter shot during a welfare check in Temple Hills, Maryland, has been moved out of the intensive care unit at Baltimore Shock-Trauma, Prince George’s County Fire and Rescue said Sunday.
Meanwhile, the chief says the firefighters who were shot did “everything right” during the call.
On Friday, Kevin Swain, a 19-year-old volunteer firefighter, was shot four times while answering a 911 call on Sharon Road. Firefighter and paramedic John Ulmschneider, 39, died from injuries suffered during the shooting. The resident’s brother was also wounded.
Police said the man opened fire on emergency responders who entered his home after he didn’t answer the door.
The incident is now being described as a tragic mistake by the resident’s sister. John Erzen, spokesman for the Prince George’s State’s Attorney’s office, told WTOP that initial assessments of the incident match her account.
The brother who showed up at the house with the emergency responders suffered minor injuries during the shooting, police said. He called authorities out of concern that his brother wasn’t answering his phone or door. He claimed that his brother had recently blacked out and had issues controlling his blood sugar.
The firefighters “acted in a crisis situation and I believe they did everything right that night with the information that they had,” Fire Chief Marc Bashoor told NBC Washington. He said he was two hours south of Buffalo when he heard the news, and “You can’t even put the pit that was in my stomach into words. You just can’t.”
Andrew Pantelis, the president of the firefighters union, told NBC Washington that Ulmschneider “was just always a class act. A tough firefighter that always wanted to get the job done and always cared about other people.”
Prince George’s County Fire spokesman Mark Brady said medics made the correct decision to enter the home and that it is “fairly routine” when there’s concern about someone’s medical safety.
Police have not released the name of the resident, who was taken into police custody but was released on Saturday. He has not been charged.
Meanwhile, funeral arrangements were set for Ulmschneider, who leaves behind a wife and a 2-year-old daughter. His colleagues set up a YouCaring page for his family. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan ordered the state’s flag to be flown at half-staff in Ulmschneider’s memory.
Swain, who is from Sykesville, was admitted to the hospital in critical condition. He was surrounded by members of the firefighting community when he was taken into surgery Friday.
