Watch CBS News

Oakland Shooting Latest Tragedy For Santa Clara County Paramedics

OAKLAND (KCBS) – An off-duty paramedic was clinging to life Wednesday at Highland Hospital after being shot Tuesday afternoon in the Oakland Hills.

The shooting has been especially hard for his colleagues to deal with, as they suffered another tragedy just two years ago.

Many of the 300 workers at Santa Clara County Ambulance also worked with Bryan Stow, the Giants fan who was severely beaten at Dodger Stadium on opening day two years ago, March 31, 2011.

Santa Clara County Paramedics Deal With Second Tragedy In Two Years

Now, they're trying to figure out why anyone would open fire on Quinn Boyer, who was not on duty as he was driving through a residential neighborhood in the Oakland Hills.

Police are not saying whether robbery may have been a motive.

Santa Clara County Ambulance spokesperson Monica Gomez said it's been rough for first responders, who are used to being the ones offering help in times of tragedy.

"Our paramedics and EMT's go through hundreds of hours of training to learn how to help people in the community and learn how to take care of patients," Gomez said. "When they're dealing with a tragedy of one of their own, it makes it a real trying and challenging time."

Boyer was shot on Keller Avenue, lost control of his car and crashed into a ravine. His paramedic equipment was found inside the vehicle.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.