Hemorrhage-Control Technology Credited With Saving Woman After Rockwall Domestic Shooting

A woman shot in the abdomen in Rockwall County on Dec. 21 survived long enough to reach surgery after Rockwall County EMS applied an Abdominal Aortic and Junctional Tourniquet - Stabilized (AAJT‑S) and administered blood in the field, officials said. The combination of rapid external aortic compression and transfusion is credited with preventing fatal blood loss and getting the patient to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas for emergency surgery.

Paramedics found the patient pale, cool, clammy and lethargic — classic signs of hemorrhagic shock — and moved quickly to control life‑threatening bleeding. Rockwall County EMS reported that the AAJT‑S was applied and inflated at the umbilicus, providing rapid external aortic compression to occlude blood flow to the injured area and prevent further blood loss. Medics also gave blood in the field; some agency materials describe the intervention as administration of whole blood while other releases use the broader term blood products.

Hospital clinicians later described the case as involving severe internal hemorrhage and vascular injury and credited the prehospital interventions with the patient reaching the operating room alive. “I can confidently say that without the application of the AAJT‑S to control internal bleeding and the administration of blood products, this patient would not have made it to the hospital alive. I’m grateful we had this device available, because there is nothing else we carry that could have given this patient a better chance,” said Zack Pulejo, FP‑C, a paramedic with Rockwall County EMS.

Rockwall County public information officer Jim Barto said the county press release withheld the victim’s name because of the domestic nature of the violence. Officials have not released the patient’s age, current condition after surgery, or information about any suspect or arrests.

The AAJT‑S, a device originally developed for combat zones, is designed to control junctional and abdominal hemorrhage when direct pressure alone is insufficient. Compression Works manufactures the device; the company has said the technology has been adopted by more than 250 EMS agencies nationwide. The manufacturer’s local connections were noted in reporting about the case.

For Rockwall County residents, the episode highlights a significant expansion of prehospital capabilities. Rockwall EMS now carries advanced hemorrhage-control tools and blood products that can change outcomes in moments when massive bleeding occurs, particularly in domestic violence and firearm-related incidents. County officials posted information about the response across official channels to keep the community informed.

Key questions remain: whether the patient survived surgery, what specific blood product was used in the field, and the status of any criminal investigation. Local officials and Baylor University Medical Center have not released further clinical or law enforcement details. The incident underscores the life-or-death value of rapid hemorrhage control and the growing role of modern tourniquets and field transfusion in community EMS systems; residents can expect more information as agencies release updates and investigators complete their work.