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'God's call' | EMT who aided 16-year-old shot at Md. HS almost didn't make it

Tuesday evening, several churches in St. Mary's County opened their doors to pray for Great Mills High School's victims.

“Who knows why I didn’t go into work,” said Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Deputy Chief, Michael Cahall.

Cahall told his fellow church members instead of going into the office on Tuesday, he had decided to telework and was brushing his teeth at home when Cahall said he got the call of a shooting at Great Mills High School.

He was able to rush to the school and start giving aid to the 16-year-old victim who was shot on Tuesday.

RELATED: Shooter dead, 2 students injured in Great Mills High shooting

The volunteer First Responder said he works as the Director for the The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program. Their website said their office is located in Arlington, Va.

The First Responder told WUSA9 there was no talking to the 16-year-old victim when he arrived on scene. She was unconscious. He also described her as badly injured but could provide any more information.

Cahall said his role was to stabilize and prepare her to be transported to the hospital. They could not fly the victim due to weather.

RELATED: School resource officer hailed as 'hero' after he confronted Great Mills High shooter

Praying she pulls through, Cahall told the congregation at the Church of the Ascension, he was there for a reason: "God's call."

“You sometimes wonder if you’re supposed to be somewhere and I definitely felt that call,” Cahall said in a one-on-one interview afterwards.

Some became emotional listening to Cahall's words during a vigil held for the Great Mills High School shooting victims.

The Church of the Ascension vigil was one of at least four organized for Tuesday evening.

Several of the younger people paying their respects were students from nearby St. Mary’s University.

“It’s like 5-miles off-campus,” said 18-year-old college student, Nicole Krutzing, “You hear about it on the news and then when it happens in a place that’s close to home…it’s like Great Mills, ‘Oh that’s right down the road,’ it’s strange. It’s shocking.”

RELATED: Donations flood in for Great Mills High School shooting victim

Krutzing and fellow-student Ellyse Sutliff both described being scared for their own safety.

“[I] just wanted to let my family know right away, let them know that I’m okay,” said Sutliff, who also told WUSA9 she started checking on friends to make sure they were also safe.

To the GMHS family, Sutliff said, "We’re here for you. We understand. We’re only a year older than a lot of you guys so we just want to do what we can to help and let you know that we’re all one community.”

Cahall encouraged the students to stay calm, strong and hopeful. He told fellow church members all of the quick responses, from schools staff to First Responders, was an act of "God's call."

The shooting, he said, was "senseless."

"What kind of judgment does a 17-year-old have to make about whether or not someone needs to die? I don’t comment on the patient itself, what might – may or may not have occurred between them, but that’s the kind of thing that runs in [my mind] after," said Cahall.

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