TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The woman who tried to save the life of a man shot at Springfield Apartments Sunday is speaking out, saying she hopes her efforts can inspire other people to learn CPR.
Change in the community can come in all forms, even CPR.
Shantell Jackson says most of the day of the shooting is a blur to her. Her only goal was to keep one man alive.
Jackson her children were settling in for a Sunday afternoon movie when they were interrupted by gunshots.
"About time we heard four more, I jumped up," said Jackson. "Ran to the door. Stooped down low. I saw the car peeling off and somebody laying on the ground."
Jackson says she sprang into action.
"I kind of blanked out," Jackson said. "I was in rescue mode, putting everything I've learned into play."
Jackson works with children, so she's required to know CPR.
She put that knowledge to the test when a man was shot outside of her home in Springfield Apartments.
The man ultimately died, but a CPR trainer says it doesn't always end that way.
"That few minutes of somebody starting it can drastically change somebody's survival rate," said Jerry Flanders, Jr.
Flanders is a medic and the owner of Just a Heartbeat Away, where he teaches people how to save lives.
"It's definitely something more people should learn," Flanders said. "It's half and half. Sometimes we're en route and we hear CPR initiated and that's a good thing for us because we know that the person is being profused."
CPR works by pumping the chest to make sure the heart is sending blood throughout the body, not filling up with blood.
Those pumps make sure the person in danger is getting oxygen.
Jackson wants more people to see just how important those simple steps can be.
"I think if we had more people in the community that know it, more people would've jumped in to help," Jackson said.
If ever in a situation where CPR is needed, pump to the pace of a heart. The easiest way to know you're keeping up is by humming a song like 'Staying Alive' or 'Baby Shark.'
