‘The worst experience of my life’: Easter brunch shooting victim shares story of recovery, medical bills

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    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WSMV) — For the first time, we are hearing from someone who was shot during Easter brunch in Salemtown. WSMV 4 Investigator Courtney Allen talked to her about her recovery and medical expenses.

Some victims are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not only will Jordan Lomellin have thousands of dollars in medical bills, but the shooting will cost taxpayers too. Our investigation uncovered that people in Tennessee are paying significantly more than many other states.

It started as a celebratory brunch on Easter. “Then just hell ensued,” Lomellin said.

Gunfire erupted. A man was shot and killed. Several more were injured.

“How many people were shot,” the dispatcher asked in a 911 call. “I just know one girl got shot in the leg,” the caller answered.

Lomellin is the woman mentioned in that call. She was also caught on doorbell video in someone’s driveway while calling for help herself.

“I am bawling my eyes out on the ground because there is a giant hole in my leg,” Lomellin said.

Her trip to Nashville with friends from Indianapolis ended in an ambulance ride to the hospital.

“It is extremely costly to deal with the aftermath of a shooting,” Sarah Burd-Sharps with EveryTown for Gun Safety said.

Burd-Sharps said victims aren’t the only ones paying for the aftermath. Based on her team’s research, Tennessee ranks among the top 15 in the nation for gun deaths and injuries, costing each resident here more than $2,600 a year for things like the police investigation and healthcare costs for victims with TennCare.

“The tragedy is that Tennessee can surely use that money for many other productive things like smooth roads and strong schools.”

Burd-Sharps said states with stricter gun laws see fewer shootings, and therefore, costs. Massachusetts taxpayers, for example, pay 80% less than we do.

“We must do more,” Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, said.

Representatives like Clemmons agree with EveryTown, believing that Tennessee would benefit from a safe storage law and more permit requirements.

Plus, the House passed a bill sponsored by Clemmons Thursday that would require the Tennessee Department of Health to report to the governor the number of firearm deaths and injuries annually so lawmakers can track trends.

“The more data we have the better,” Clemmons said. “The more useful it will be to form good policy.”

We reached out to both Senate and House Republicans for their take but we were told no one was available to weigh in.

Back in Indianapolis, Lomellin is waiting to see how much her few hours in the hospital will cost.

“I know they are going to bill me, and it is going to be like that is $15,000 for us to rolling you out of there,” Lomellin said.

Her work does not offer insurance. She is trying to make ends meet for continued medical care, counseling and physical therapy.

“It was obviously the worst experience of my life,” Lomellin said. “I don’t know what else would compare.”

The most recent data from the Tennessee Department of Health showed that gun injury hospitalizations have increased in recent years. Peoples’ average stay is nine days. At Vanderbilt alone, more than 450 people were admitted with gunshot wounds last year. It was the third leading cause of admissions behind falls and crashes.

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