4 people refused to help after mother was shot in Tehama County

Tiffany Phommathep was shot by 44-year-old Kevin Neal Tuesday morning while she was dropping her children off at school. Phommathep threw her body on her 10-year-old son who was sitting in the passenger seat.

The 31-year-old mother of four was shot four times in her back, left shoulder and once in the hip. One bullet is still in her gut.
All three children in the car were injured in the shooting. They were treated at the hospital and have since been released. Phommathep’s oldest son, who is 14, was not in the car during the shooting.

Phommathep thought she was going to die as she frantically drove around asking people for help. She was bleeding and losing consciousness.

"Found some more strength to open my window, my door and I hopped out to her and asked her, 'Can you help? I’m shot, I’m dying, and my kids are in the car.’ She said she couldn't help me because she only had a two-seater and she was late for work,” Phommathep said. “That hurt my heart a lot to hear her say that."

[...]

“I think they just didn’t want to get involved in case I was being, like, chased by some lunatic that was trying to gun me down,” Phommathep said.

source: www.msn.com...

It is unfortunate to hear no one was willing to risk helping her, especially with her kids in the car. I can't blame those who didn't want to jump in, but I think it says a lot when you contrast the incident to Texas and other locations. Even in cases where an armed citizen doesn't engage the shooter directly, there are usually a large number of bystanders jumping in to help.

What is different? Colorado does have more strict gun laws than Texas, but I don't think that alone explains the difference.

The woman encourages others to help if they're ever in that situation. Few things would be more terrifying than being shot/actively persued while knowing that if you go down, your children probably go down.

Situations like this highlight the need for citizens to be lawfully armed. It may save your life in a situation like this, or it may even save someone else's. The fact he was permitted to drive around town engaging in acts of terror and violence unopposed speaks volumes to me.

What do you all think?

I tend to stay away from these because there's too many pranksters about. It's not everyday someone comes asking for help with gunshot wounds.

I would of helped her personally however I don't judge those who didn't as harshly. We live in times of enormous deception and mistrust. The world is going to hell and stories like this prove it....

yes, jump in when it's stand in the gap time....jump in like a mother bear here in Texas yessirr

a reply to: JBurns

It really doesn't surprise me much.

People have been standing around and watching without helping for centuries.

Think people watching bullies ply their trade in a school yard. Fear of 'perceived' loss of status by being the first to state in opposition is very common and very human sad to say.

We all ignore things like this to one degree or another - this is a pretty awful degree but....

People (men and women) have been excusing sexual, mental, emotional, economic, educational, etc abuse for millennia as well.

It's a standard function of hierarchies of all types. The powerful will mistreat those of lesser status - it's the only thing we know.

a reply to: JBurns

Lack of compassion is showing...

Not everyone knows what to do or has the skill set to assist in that situation.

It requires training to be useful in that kind of scenario.

originally posted by: JBurns

“I think they just didn’t want to get involved in case I was being, like, chased by some lunatic that was trying to gun me down,” Phommathep said.

people who are unable to defend themselves live in fear, and learn to cower and submit.

a people confident they can defend themselves learns to be brave in the face of conflict.

being armed gives you confidence you can defend yourself and others.

I don't understand why someone didn't at least phone an ambulance or even ask if she needed one. That would be my first reaction.

This was California, not Colorado. This event in the OP is the same one that was almost another mass school shooting in California from a few days back, although it is hard to tell that from this article alone.

That being said - this is pretty sad and mustve been terrified for the woman. However it seems a maniac was going on a rampage in this tiny town so its understandable people were scared. Im just glad she got help eventually. I imagine there was chaos all over right then as the shooting took place outside a school.

Ambulances and police were probably already on their way to the school but it seems she fled in her car to get away from the shooting? Its hard to tell exactly how this transpired. Im sure people were calling 911 all over though.

a reply to: lightedhype


Ah, thank you for that. I can't believe I mixed them up, and apologize for doing so. So many mass killings lately, I can't keep them all straight

a reply to: FyreByrd


So true FyreByrd

It is unfortunate, but I think you hit the nail right on the head

JB

There is no excuse for not helping, if nothing else if you dont even understand the principle of a bandage you have her slide over and drive her and her kids to the hospital.

Sickening... Im late for work and only have a two seater... what in the 9 ells is wrong with people today.

a reply to: NobodiesNormal

It doesn't require weapons to help somebody. Or in fact, to protect yourself.

But it is true that if the only tool you have in your toobelt is a weapon then every problem can only be solved by killing (or attempting to) someone or something.

a reply to: JBurns

FINE ..I want to conceal carry a SUB 9 because I want the range ,I'M friggin sick now...
I'm sure Colorado Springs won't LIKE it...BUT HEY,JUST like SOME NUT can pop up and go off,a floating vet can minimize the carnage and serve as HARD back up.
JUST make sure if we aren't armed and are FORCED use rocks ...avert your eyes.

ignoring the elephant in the room doesn't make it invisible...

in the age of cellphones, emergency SOS buttons in cars, cars with first aid kits etc.. someone is bleeding out with children also bleeding and the poor victim telling you that they need help and they get ignored... smfh..

charges would be filed if the context was slightly different

a reply to: FyreByrd


Agreed, there are many ways to help someone or protect yourself. Carrying a small medical kit with tourniquet and some first aid knowledge would have probably been the most helpful thing. At the very least, they could have taken her and her kids inside to conceal them and call 911.

Weapons can be life savers, but they certainly aren't the be all/end all of surviving a bad situation. There are so many different emergencies, and I like to think that most do not require shooting your way out of