What Do You Do If Someone Is Shot
Gregory Kielma • January 1, 2024
What To Do When Someone Else Is Shot
Combat Medic: What To Do When Someone Else Is Shot
By
Jon Wayne Taylor
December 29, 2023
Says Gregg Kielma USCCA First Aid Fundamentals Instructor, this is a great article by Jon! The article below is exactly what I teach to first responders in my classes. If you're interested in saving life's, please take a course in First Aid Fundamentals. I offer them once a month or on demand. My courses are outlined in the USCCA training abstract. The course covers two 6-hour days with hands on training. If you're interested give me a call to sign up!
Save a Life start a heart!
Enlighten yourself with Jon's in-depth article.
Being shot and having to treat yourself isn’t ideal. I went over the basics of what to do if you are shot in a previous TTAG post. The nice thing about treating yourself is that you don’t have many options, so you can focus on doing those few things really well. In this post, we’ll go over what to do if someone else is shot. I would recommend reading that first post for some specific treatment methods that we will gloss over here.
First things first…just like when you’ve been shot, if someone else is shot, your first order of business should be ending the threat. If the threat is ongoing, that means returning fire.
As I said the last article, the best medicine on any battlefield is fire superiority. You must limit the opponent’s ability to fire and maneuver. But once that’s done and you and the victim(s) are safe, it’s time to get to work. That’s the time you have more options and you may have a lot more work to do.
Before we get into how to treat a gun shot wound (GSW), we have to get into deciding who gets treated first. Obviously, if there’s only one person shot, get right on that. But what if there is more than one? Whether the attacker intended to shoot one person or not, there are often multiple victims. Getting to the right ones first is a skill set that only experience can really help you master, but there are a few techniques that will help.
The overriding rule of triage: help those that are in need of assistance and have the best chance of survival if you provide that assistance. That sounds simple, but emotionally, mentally, that can lead to some extremely difficult decisions.
If you think getting shot or blown up and driving on with the mission makes you hard, it does, but not compared to the decisions you have to make in triage. Trust me, I’ve done both. You will be able to make those decisions as well, and people will be better off for it when you do.
What kind of decisions? Well, for instance, I have had to step over breathing children and delay their care, knowing it would result in their death in order to work on a conscious adult. I did that more than once because I had a better chance of saving the adult’s life than I did the child’s. Nothing will get to you like dragging a breathing child away to die alone while you work on someone else, but you may have to do that. If you don’t, it’s possible that both the adult and the child will die.
Note that you aren’t trying to help the largest number of people…you are trying to help the people that you can do something about, to save life, limb, and eyesight. I have, in my career, had an event where I had six severe traumatic patients. I knew that if I did everything right — everything just perfectly — five of them would probably die. And they would die because I would have to ignore them to save the one who I thought I could do something about.
Just understand that those decisions will have to be made — very quickly and correctly — or everybody suffers and more will die. The worst possible thing is to wait. Waiting is tantamount to murder.
Also, once the threat is gone, everyone who is wounded is a patient. Everyone. That includes the aggressor. Yup, you have to treat the shooter. This isn’t a philosophical debate. If they’re no longer a threat and they are wounded, they are a patient and you have to treat them to the best of your ability. That means triaging them appropriately, too.
I have treated the enemy before myself. Try and avoid that scenario if possible.
There are many methods to triage, but here is an easy and effective one…once the scene is safe, stand up, use your loud grownup voice, and say “My name is (___). People have been shot and I’m here to help. If you can hear the sound of my voice, get up and come to me.” Give that barely half a minute. The people that can get up and start to make it to you are your second priority.
The next thing you say is, “Okay, if you can hear the sound of my voice, raise your hand and yell, let me know where you are.” Those people are your first priority. Get to them right away. Because if they are conscious but can’t move, they are in bad shape, but not so bad you can’t do something about it.
The people who could not respond to you in any way are your last priority. You treat the responsive but immobile first, then the mobile, then the unresponsive. You are only treating them for life, limb, and eyesight. You treat everyone you have time to treat and none who you don’t.
If you are shot, treat yourself first, then get to work on everyone else. If that’s just one other person, great, but it might not be. Unlike before when it was just you getting shot, if there is anyone else conscious there, have them call 911 immediately, even if that’s the victim.
Getting the GSW victim to call 911 is a very good thing. It keeps them engaged and conscious while freeing you to work. If there’s no one else who is conscious, but you have more than one victim, call 911 now. The same rules for putting the phone on speaker phone mode apply. Never turn it off.
So the scene is safe and you have sorted the victims. Breath deep and smile, the hardest work is done. I mean it. Force yourself to take a deep breath. Force yourself to smile. The most important vital sign in any casualty event is YOUR pulse. So take a breath and get yours down a bit.
If you have help, instruct them to start helping other people, but be willing to call them over if you need them. Until there’s a more competent medical provider there, you are in charge of helping the victims.
The first thing you’re looking for is bleeding. The way we do that is by asking people where they are shot, looking, and performing a rapid blood sweep. There’s no need to take clothes off or expose the wound at this point.
Wipe your hands off, put them on the patient, and then look at your hands again. If there is blood, check that area out and get to work. If there is no blood, move to the next part of the patient, checking your hands each time. It does no good to check the whole patient and then look at your hands. You won’t know where the blood came from.
Just like before, your go-to care for a GSW to an extremity is the tourniquet. If you need to make one, get someone else to hold pressure while you make it and apply it. But get on that fast because it’s relatively easy to remedy and will save a life quickly. By the way, a patient with a GSW to one arm can dial 911 with the other.
Injuries to the torso will require a dressing and pressure. Expose only the wound area you have to, but press down on that injury. Yes, you can stick your fingers inside of them to put pressure on the wound. No, don’t fish around. As in my earlier article, hemostatic agents such as QuickClot Guaze are preferred, but not required. Get that dressing on, pressed as hard as you have to, and tape it all down.
How do we know when the bleeding is controlled and it’s okay to move on to something else? Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze until the red blood stops.
Just like before, a patient with penetrating trauma to the upper torso may have a sucking chest wound. If the patient is conscious, they will tell you that it’s getting harder to breathe. If they are unconscious and unable to tell you that, you will eventually see the uneven rise and fall of their chest.
There are a few good telltale signs, but if you haven’t seen them before you will likely miss them. The general rule for you, if you aren’t medically trained, is to treat any open chest wound as if it were a sucking chest wound. Refer to my previous article for treatment.
Some of you wise guys may be asking about needle-chest-decompression. That’s where you shove a 14g needle into someone’s chest cavity to relieve the pressure. Unless you have been extensively trained with this in a hands-on setting by a qualified medical provider, do not attempt this. The majority of trained first responders get this technique wrong in one way or another and many cause more harm than good.
In the worst case scenarios, I’ve had combat life savers go under a rib instead of over it and cause more bleeding into the thoracic cavity. I’ve also seen patients that received a needle chest decompression that didn’t need one at all and now they need a thoracotomy. That’s not ideal. Skip it unless you really know what you’re doing.
As in my previous post, roll a patient with a thoracic GSW onto the side of the injury and make sure you treat any exit wound. Patients with any facial trauma should be rolled onto their side, or at least have their head turned to the side. Don’t put a pillow under a GSW patient’s head unless there’s an injury to the spine and you need to keep it from moving. I have seen a patient killed from a good Samaritan putting a makeshift pillow under her head, cutting off the flow of air down her windpipe and choking her to death. Don’t do that.
Now we can move to the patient’s airway. For the vast majority of GSW patients, simple positioning will protect their airway. That is, unless they are shot in the face and have teeth and blood loose in their mouth, just sitting them upright or laying them on their side will be good enough.
If they are shot in the face, you may have to perform a simple finger sweep of their mouth to get bone or teeth clear of their windpipe so that they can breathe well. Don’t just fish around. Look in first and see what’s wrong, then you can sweep a finger through their mouth to take out any obstructions you see. Positioning on their side is good for now if they’re not fully conscious. Be aware, you will likely have to do this more than once.
As in the earlier article, we aren’t going to worry about putting in an IV. Even in most combat situations, we don’t do that anymore unless we know that it’s going to be hours before they receive comprehensive medical treatment. For most people, training time spent learning to give an IV is far better spent learning to stop bleeding in the first place.
If you only have one other patient and they don’t have a pulse, control any bleeding and then move to CPR. There’s no need to perform CPR if you cannot control bleeding, or if there is another patient you can help. You will perform CPR unless and until help arrives. If you do it right, you will be exhausted in a matter of minutes.
Treat all of the life-threatening injuries on one patient before moving to another.
Now it’s time to splint up injuries, bandage eyes, get patients out of the cold or extreme heat, and get them ready for the ambulance or other transportation. Unless you are way out in the woods, there’s no need for you to carry a patient. If the scene is safe and you find yourself picking someone up, you are doing it wrong.
If you must move them for the sake of safety or to get them out of extremes, drag them there. I don’t care if they only weigh 50 lbs. and you are a big strapping man. Unless they are an infant, drag them there. Don’t carry them.
Now is the time to start reassessing your patient(s). Your biggest concern is still the bleeding, doing another complete blood sweep and making sure nothing has come loose and is bleeding again. Check and see if it’s time to relieve pressure on that chest seal. Talk to your patients constantly, and keep them involved in their own care. This reassessment, treatment, and assurance will continue until more help arrives.
Good medical gear really helps, but most kits have more things than you will need or know how to use. If you’re on the range with other people or you can throw a bag in your home or vehicle, I would recommend at least the following to treat others:
At least 4 tourniquets
At least 4 sets of Quick Clot Gauze, and at least 6 rolls of Kerlix.
At least 4 chest seals.
At least 3 Sam Splints
And buy more medical tape than you ever thought you’d need and a flashlight that you don’t have to hold down a button to keep on. That’s the minimum. Put it in any easy-to-get to bag. I prefer everything in clear Ziplock bags and put it all in one big compartment.
As I wrote before, for those of you who want to get into more medical training and would like a good guidebook, the Ranger Medic Handbook is the best single guide I’ve ever seen.
For more in-depth reading, I would recommend the US Army’s Emergency War Surgery, now published completely online as well as my constant field companion, Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine Manual.
What risks do concealed carry permit holders face if they decide to act during an active shooter event? What Would You Do? Kielma says, my plan and exactly my thoughts and how I will proceed and deal with this. Here are a few; • Being mistaken for being a part of the active shooter assault • Getting killed by the First Responders because they think that you’re an accomplice • Getting killed by an actual accomplice because they don’t want you to be the hero who stops their murderous rampage Kielma’s PLAN, In the end, if I am carrying concealed, and some nut-job starts shooting innocent people, I will draw and I will take him out. Positive actions, performed quickly, will save lives. Once the perpetrator is down and or dead, I will put my pistol back into concealment, and check on the victims. I will render first aid until the First Responders arrive. I would continue to scan the scene to make sure there isn’t a second bad guy. When the cops arrive, I will render a full report, and let them know what happened, and when.
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A gun confiscation finally goes into effect and police are going door-to-door. Your home is next.... Let's see what Robert Andrews plan is. What would you do? Ensure that the Coffee cans and pipe full of nails, glass, some fecal matter to cause massive infections and smokeless powder are all in place and wired up so that when the Unconstitutional Gestapo stack their teams beside any possible entry point, they get their legs blown off. Then as the survivors look for cover, their cover will turn into an ambush before their very eyes. Explosive charges to be command detonated placed months or years before where they will seek cover and where they will park vehicles. Once they bring in a Chopper, Charges will be launched simultaneously with cable between each to foul rotors. They can reach an estimated height of 1500 to 2000 ft. Meanwhile, I will be inside, in a below grade Reinforced concrete room, with switches and detonators for all in place explosives. I have 48 hours of supplied air, Plus Filtration that will easily handle CS Gas, 90 days of water, and enough MRE’s to last years, and the required tobacco sauce as well. Will I survive through a scenario such as Robert proposes, probably not. But I am 1 Man, and I can easily cost the gun grabbers 25–50 men and possibly much more. And I am only 1 man, and every home within 15 miles of my home, is owned and lived in by my kin. So, the question is How many gun grabbers are willing to die to come collect my weapons? Because I know that I am willing to take as many as possible with me when I go.
Vicki Lynn Frantz...A true "Bagger" What A Mutt! Fulton County (Ga.) Sheriff's Office Corrections employee, caught with pants down in office with inmate, says she's the victim in shocking prison scandal... Sure A corrections employee allegedly was about to have sex with an inmate when a security guard busted her — but she claims her life was threatened. A former corrections employee in Georgia is accused of attempting to have sexual relations with an inmate and selling cigarettes to another prisoner, according to authorities. Vickie Lynn Frantz, 56, also known as hot lips and hot pants... was terminated from her job as a purchasing assistant at the Atlanta Transitional Center — a correctional facility — on Monday. 'My client is the victim of the whole situation, and yet she is falsely accused of those charges.' The U.S. Marshals Service arrested Frantz, and she was booked into the Fulton County Jail on Monday. Frantz was hit with felony charges of criminal intent to commit a felony and trading with inmates without the consent of the warden or superintendent, according to jail records. A judge set her bond at $30,000. WSB reported that an investigation was launched after a security guard reported witnessing Frantz welcome an inmate into her office. Frantz — of Rome, Georgia — was about to have sex with an inmate in her office, police said. The affidavit of arrest that Blaze News obtained from the Georgia Department of Corrections states that the witness saw the inmate enter Frantz's office around 1:30 p.m. on June 30. "Accused Vickie Frantz committed criminal attempt to commit custodial sexual assault by allowing an inmate of the Georgia Department of Corrections into her office, then taking off her pants to allow sexual activity," the affidavit stated. The affidavit added, "But a security staff member intervened before any sexual acts occurred. Vickie Frantz was caught in her office lying on an inmate bed mat with no pants on and an inmate standing over her." Go Vickie, oink oink!!!! Let's see what the courts say. Innocent, who knows. Frantz also is accused of selling cigarettes to another inmate. "Vickie Frantz unlawfully accepted a payment of $50 via Chime to bring five packs of cigarettes into Atlanta Transitional Center," the affidavit stated. Despite the former corrections employee being in a position of power over inmates, Frantz's public defender said his client was the "victim." "She was under duress, and she was threatened with her life actually to comply with the demand by the complaining witness," assistant public defender Jae Kim told WSB. "My client is the victim of the whole situation, and yet she is falsely accused of those charges." Heath told WSB, "As we continue to demonstrate, we maintain a zero-tolerance policy for individuals who choose to ignore their oath and jeopardize our non-negotiable mission of public safety. The actions of this individual do not reflect the hundreds of officers who are committed each and every day to ensuring the safety of the public and the safe operations of our facilities." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
How to Safely Walk Your Dog or Favorite Pet While Armed by Gregg Kielma and Lee Williams Says FFL, Firearms, First Aid Fundamentals Instructor Gregg Kielma. I get asked this question all the time in my firearms classes. I live in Florida with a lot of ponds with alligators and wild pigs in or around them. Alligators like small dogs, like my seven (7) rescues. So, what do I do? I stay situationally aware all the time. I chose a routes away from any bad areas near ponds or wooded areas. If you have access to a fenced in dog park, that may be a better option. This For Florida Residents in Particular: Or any place you may encounter wild animals that can hurt you or your pet. I walk them during the day when I can see the ponds or wooded areas we are coming up to. I keep them close to me or most likely pick them up. We have sidewalks that run right next to big ponds alligators like to hang out in. (yes live in the country). I have wild pigs that do tremendous damage to property and if not careful to people and dogs. I'm always checking my surrounding for alligators, wild pigs or a bad actor hiding in the tree line that may try to hurt me or my wife. I keep my firearm easily accessible. I practice and can access my firearm in less than .003 seconds. I practice all the time. (Note: Alligators are very fast for short distances, you need to keep your "antenna's" up and always be ready. Wild pigs are very aggressive when there are little piglets around and will attack to save the piglets. They can hurt you or your pet just like an alligator). Dive to a safe area in your neighborhood, park your car and say away from ponds or heavily wooded areas. February through mid to end of April alligators are active. Its mating season and they become aggressive. Have a plan. What are you going to do to stop the threat? Don't wait until the last minute by then it's too late. Stay smart, situationally aware and ready for anything. Check out what Lees has to say and her recommendations. Take it away Lee! I get to walk Willa, our Boston Terrier, seven to eight times per day. I’m not sure who enjoys it more. Her timing is always perfect. After I’ve been writing for more than a few hours, she will jump into my lap or bite my ankles to let me know it’s time to take a break. Living in southwest Florida, the weather is our biggest non-tactical concern. We always avoid the hottest part of the day. I also carry a bottle of water and offer her sips while watching out for excessive panting. Boston Terriers are one of the Brachycephalic breeds, so she is more susceptible to heatstroke than other dogs. It’s crucial to adjust the intensity of our walk, and Willa is never shy about offering input. As to our tactical concerns, some suggestions follow: One of the most important considerations while walking your dog is that you will likely have just one free hand if you’re threatened. If you need to use deadly force, you will be shooting and possibly even reloading using only your strong hand. Practice is key, it’s crucial. Every time I’m at the range, I always shoot two or three magazines using only my strong hand. My weak hand is kept at my side, as if I’m holding her leash. Speed and accuracy are not the same as when I’ve got two free hands, which is why it’s so important to train. One-handed magazine changes are also much slower. I hold my empty weapon between my legs, pull a spare mag off of my weak side with my strong hand, and insert it into the weapon. I have practiced this with Willa dry but have yet to add gunfire to our training. Accuracy is worse than when using two hands, as is speed. Besides, I will likely have a 30-pound dog jumping and going crazy in my weak hand, so you can understand that my maximum effective range will shrink. Generally, the types of threats you may encounter on a dog walk are about the same as if you were walking alone, but there is the added possibility that someone may try to harm or steal your dog. Nowadays, some canines can cost thousands of dollars. Most likely, the bad guy will use some type of weapon. I have never heard of anyone who was victimized while walking their dog and forced to respond with force, being asked why they didn’t let their dog bite the bad guy. Most civilians don’t own attack-trained Malinois. Anyone who says anything different has likely never been in a gunfight. Some additional suggestions: • Always hold your dog’s leash with your weak hand. Keep your shooting hand ready. • I strongly recommend carrying a can of pepper spray for aggressive canines. It works incredibly well and is not permanent. Make sure it is police strength. • Practice drawing and obtaining a sight picture while holding your dog’s leash in your weak hand. • It’s easy to lose your situational awareness while picking up poo. Do it quickly while maintaining your SA. • Watch for additional threats, especially while retrieving poo. • Don’t focus solely on your dog while walking. Don’t zone out. • Don’t allow anyone you don’t know to pet your dog. Tell them your dog is not friendly and may bite. • Change your walking routes often. Do not have a standard route. • Look for threats while walking. Your dog can help with this. • Be concerned about your safety and security, and your dog’s. • Carry spare ammunition – it’s a must. I always carry the same guns and gear. The Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project wouldn’t be possible without you. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to support pro-gun stories like this.
Indiana Mom Shoots Child Predator to Save Her 12-Year-Old Daughter Mark Chesnut Most people are aware that the maternal instinct in women is so strong that many will do whatever it takes to protect their children from harm. Unfortunately for a convicted child molester in Indiana, he had to learn that lesson the hard way. According to reports at wlfa.com and wthr.com, the man, Bruce Pierce, tried to rape a 12-year-old girl at an Indianapolis hotel in late May. But before he could rip more than her tank top and underwear, the girl’s mother shot Pierce several times, sending him to the hospital with multiple bullet wounds and a sure lesson learned. Details are a little sketchy as to why the mother left her 12-year-old daughter in a hotel room with a convicted child sex offender. According to one report, the child’s grandmother told police the victim and her sister woke her up on May 24 when their mother didn’t come home. They went to the Baymont Inn to look for her and found the mother with Pierce in the hotel lobby. The 12-year-old girl, who was feeling sick, stayed in Pierce’s hotel room while the mother and the other daughter took items to the car. While they were loading the car, the girl said Pierce invited her to sit on the bed. At that time, court documents say she told police Pierce grabbed her arms, pinned them to the bed, and began ripping her clothes off. The victim was able to escape her attacker when her mother opened fire. According to reports, Pierce had a gun on or near him during the assault. Unlike the mother, he apparently wasn’t able to get off any shots during the melee. Court records show Pierce pleaded guilty to child molesting in two separate cases, in Hendricks and Morgan counties, in 2016. Pierce is charged with attempted rape, attempted child molestation, unlawful possession of a firearm and confinement, all felonies in the state Indiana. While anti-gun activists will tell you that normal Americans almost never use firearms to save themselves and their families from violent criminals, this incident reminds us once again that episodes of armed self-defense occur multiple times daily throughout the United States. While the gun-ban group Moms Demand Action works tirelessly to take away gun owners’ rights, this mom in Indiana went into action when her daughter faced imminent harm at the hands of a very bad guy.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime Monday, July 7, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Douglas Lee Brown, also known as “Wiggles,” 56, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2024, law enforcement officers arrested Brown on domestic battery and wanton endangerment warrants in Huntington and found he possessed a loaded Taurus model G2C 9mm pistol in his waistband. Officers determined the firearm was reported stolen. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Brown knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for burglary in Franklin County, Ohio, Common Pleas Court on November 15, 2012. Brown has a long criminal history and was on a term of supervision as a result of the burglary conviction at the time of the current offense. Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on October 20, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-168.
Charlotte Man Sentenced For Possession Of A Machinegun Wednesday, July 9, 2025 U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of North Carolina The Defendant Possessed a Firearm Affixed with a “Glock Switch” CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Joshua Michael Jenkins, 22, of Charlotte, was sentenced yesterday to 88 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a machinegun, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. According to court records, on October 30, 2022, a trooper with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol attempted to stop Jenkins for speeding on the interstate. Jenkins refused to stop and instead proceeded to drive at a high rate of speed, reaching speeds of 130 miles per hour. Court documents show that Jenkins exited the highway and ran a red light, where his vehicle collided with four other vehicles at an intersection. Jenkins then fled on foot and ran toward a shopping center. The state trooper ran after Jenkins and observed Jenkins holding a firearm in his hand, which he pointed at the trooper. Jenkins was eventually apprehended. According to court documents, law enforcement searched a trashcan in a parking lot nearby after a witness saw Jenkins drop something in it. Law enforcement recovered from the trashcan a Glock model 23, .40 caliber pistol, with an affixed machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock Switch.” During the investigation, law enforcement located multiple social media posts of Jenkins posing with firearms that appeared to be equipped with Glock switches, and a video showing muzzle flash and the sound of repeated firing of an automatic weapon. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, and the Huntersville Police Department for their investigation of the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman prosecuted the case. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position reflects the partnership between the District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Former City of Raleigh Firefighter Pleads Guilty to Dark Web Drug Trafficking Scheme Thursday, July 10, 2025 Says FFL, Firearms Instructor and Gunsmith Gregg Kielma, this one hurts as a person who studied firefighting and is an instructor in First Aid Fundamentals, I'm extremely disappointed in this former firefighter. We are sworn to defend and assist our fellow citizens, not poison them with drugs. To say I'm hurt is an understatement. Nick betrayed the trust of everyone sworn to keep people safe. Kielma continues, Nick, I trust you'll pay the price. You made very bad choices that reflect on your department and the people you serve. Shame on you. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina Katie Holcomb Vollmer, Public Affairs Officer USANCE.PublicInfoOfficer@usdoj.gov RALEIGH, N.C. – A former City of Raleigh firefighter and his wife have pleaded guilty today to running a large-scale drug trafficking operation involving cocaine, methamphetamine, and other narcotics. Nicholas Banister, 36, and Amanda Banister, 36, admitted to using the dark web and cryptocurrency to distribute drugs across Eastern North Carolina. “The defendant, a Raleigh firefighter, served in a position of public trust, but was hiding in plain sight as he and his wife sold numerous types of illegal narcotics around businesses the community frequently visits,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “I’m proud of our federal and state partners at the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (NC ALE) for their hard work, which is holding these individuals accountable and making our community safer.” “It is unfortunate to see someone we trust to help keep us protected involved in criminal activities that jeopardize public safety,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “ATF realizes the danger and violence associated with drug trafficking, and we’re proud to work with our local and state law enforcement partners to break up those networks and better protect our communities.” “A primary focus for ALE is reducing crime associated with alcohol establishments and protecting the safety of our communities. In this case, undercover ALE special agents conducted a comprehensive investigation that led to the arrest and conviction of two individuals — one of whom had taken an oath to protect others but instead chose to put lives at risk,” said Bryan House, Director of North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement. “We’re hopeful this case, along with our continued efforts, will have a positive impact on our state.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, Banister conspired with his wife to sell cocaine and methamphetamine on four occasions to an undercover law enforcement officer at the Morgan Street Food Hall in Raleigh. The NC ALE executed a search warrant at Banister's residence in Raleigh, where they found 1,324.43 grams of methamphetamine, 844 grams of cocaine, over 7 kilograms of marijuana, 382 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, Xanax and Ecstasy pills, 216 units of LSD, 15 grams of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), two firearms, a digital wallet used to store cryptocurrency and $213,810 in U.S. currency. Banister had been selling cocaine, methamphetamine, and LSD every other week for at least a year prior to his arrest. Banister purchased the narcotics from the dark web using cryptocurrency, had them shipped to North Carolina, and then sold them to various buyers, primarily in the Glenwood South area. Banister utilized the Snapchat application to advertise narcotics by providing a “menu” for buyers. Banister was employed with the City of Raleigh Fire Department at the time of the charged offenses. Both Banister and his wife face a mandatory minimum of 10 years' imprisonment when sentenced at a later date. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after arraignment by U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II. The NC ALE and the ATF investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Aria Q. Merle prosecuted the case. SAUSA Merle is a prosecutor with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal violent crimes and other criminal matters. A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-00106-D.
TALLAHASSEE MAN SENTENCED FOR CARRYING A GLOCK SWITCH Thursday, July 3, 2025 Note from FFL, Instructor and Gunsmith Gregg Kielma. A Glock switch is illegal. Don't ask me for one. I don't sell them; dam it, they are illegal! Don't ask me. Should you do, you'll never be a customer of Tactical K Training and Firearms. Continues Kielma, we do everything by the book. You want to go to jail that's fine with me, you're not going to do it here. We respect and cherish our FFL and will never, ever do anything to lose our creditability with the ATF. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jimmy Bender, 19, of Tallahassee, Florida was sentenced to 24 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possessing a machinegun. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. According to court records, officers with the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD), Violent Crimes Response Team, were patrolling in the southeastern portion of Tallahassee due to complaints of criminal activity in the area. A TPD officer observed Bender commit a traffic violation and then stopped the vehicle. As the officers removed Bender from the vehicle, they discovered a Glock.40 caliber handgun with extended magazine. The handgun was also equipped with a machinegun conversion device, or “Glock switch,” which unlawfully enabled the firearm to shoot multiple rounds with a single trigger pull. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the hard work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners, our community can rest easy knowing this dangerous individual has been removed from our streets. Criminals considering carrying an illegally converted machinegun should know my office will aggressively prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the TPD Violent Crimes Response Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric Welch. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html. Contact United States Attorney’s Office Northern District of Florida USAFLN.Press.Office@usdoj.gov X: @NDFLnews
