LAKE CITY, Fla. – An officer who helped save the life of a Lake City teen who survived a triple shooting last month has been recognized for his first-aid efforts.
Whit Vu, 17, was shot four times in her home and was alive when officers with the Lake City Police Department arrived to investigate a reported shooting. Police said Whit's father, 41-year-old Khoa Trong Vu, shot and killed his wife, Tina, and 14-year-old son, Khoi, on Oct. 10.
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When Sgt. Marshal Sova arrived, he began first-aid efforts on Whit, who was lying in a pool of water from a nearby faucet that was damaged during the shooting, mixed with large quantities of blood. His first-aid efforts continued until EMS arrived, and likely saved her life, police said.
"We are very proud of Sgt. Sova and his dedication to this community," said Chief Argatha Gilmore. "His life-saving efforts were a natural reaction without second thought. We join the victim, her family, and this community in thanking him for what he did that night."
Police said Khoa Vu's 23-year-old son, who asked not to be named, ultimately stopped his father and held him down until police arrived.
Police said Whit's family members have contacted LCPD to express their gratitude for Sova's quick thinking and knowledgable application of first-aid techniques. Sova visited the victim later at the hospital and has acted as a liaison to help the family thorough this tragic incident.
"I don't know if I believe in angels, but on that night, he was my guardian angel," Whit said.