No medical examiner ever thinks they will see multiple bodies from the same homicide in a day, but that is precisely what happened to the Collin County medical examiner.
Medical examiners play a crucial role in helping law enforcement identify the victims of homicide, and Collin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Keng Su was needed for exactly that in the wake of the recent shooting in Allen.
Su became the chief medical examiner for Collin County three months ago and spoke to local news outlet WFAA Dallas about what a medical examiner must do in times of great distress.
“We have to put our emotions aside, and [we] have to do our job,” said Su. By Su’s estimate, he and the rest of the team associated with the Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office had worked upwards of 12 hours a day since the shooting.
Su was finishing an autopsy on May 6 when a law enforcement agent approached him, explaining that there had been a shooting at Allen Premium Outlets.
All nine bodies, including the shooter, were taken to the Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office.
“It [was] so hard to do my service to the shooter because you’re angry, too. We are human beings. But it’s not my job to judge,” said Su.
“It’s very hard to see innocent children … they have so many injuries on the body. It’s terrible,” said Su.
Three children were shot and killed in the massacre. One young boy was left critically injured while his parents and sibling were killed by the gunman.
Following the tragedy, the City of Allen posted several different ways to help the victims’ families on their website.
People who wish to donate are encouraged to seek out verified donation accounts. The donation accounts verified by the City of Allen can be found here.