An emergency room doctor devoted to her community. A pharmacy resident who helped children with a disorder similar to her own. A police officer and father who responded to a shooting without being called.<\/b>
\nCHICAGO \u2014 An emergency room doctor devoted to her community. A pharmacy resident who helped children with a disorder similar to her own. A police officer and father who responded to a shooting without being called.
Chicago’s mayor said the three people fatally shot at a local hospital on Monday were \u00ab\u00a0doing what they loved\u00a0\u00bb when they were attacked by the doctor’s ex-fiance. Here is a look at their lives:
TAMARA O’NEAL
Dr. Tamara O’Neal was an emergency room physician who raised money for disadvantaged children and, with the blessing of her bosses, reserved Sundays for church.
The 38-year-old led her church choir and was \u00ab\u00a0dedicated to caring for her community,\u00a0\u00bb said Dr. Patrick O’Connor, director of Mercy Hospital’s emergency department, where O’Neal worked. Choking up and trying to compose himself just hours after the shooting, he said: \u00ab\u00a0We’ll make sure you go to church on Sunday.\u00a0\u00bb
Dr. John Purakal, who once saved lives alongside O’Neal, was among the doctors trying to save her life at the University of Chicago Medicine. He said she was warm and caring, and a charismatic and committed doctor.
\u00ab\u00a0Tamara was a very passionate person who wore her emotions on her sleeve,\u00a0\u00bb Purakal told The Associated Press. When caring for patients, he said, \u00ab\u00a0she just wouldn’t be denied things she thought were important.\u00a0\u00bb
Purakal met O’Neal in 2014, at the start of their residency program at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He said she volunteered to teach CPR training and \u00ab\u00a0would spend every free minute with her family in Indiana.\u00a0\u00bb
Purakal said it became clear where her strength and comfort came from when he prayed with her family after her death. They recalled singing and worshipping with her the day before in church.
\u00ab\u00a0One of her family members said, ‘We sang well yesterday.’ One of their last memories was what she loved doing,\u00a0\u00bb Purakal said. \u00ab\u00a0I think her singing in choir, being with family \u2014 that was her sanctuary.\u00a0\u00bb
Two funds were established in her honor, including one focused on research to curb gun violence and domestic abuse.
DAYNA LESS
Dayna Less excelled at her job because helping others became her mission after overcoming serious health problems.
Her father, Brian Less, released a statement saying his 25-year-old daughter was a first-year pharmacy resident at Chicago’s Mercy Hospital. She said she suffered a headache disorder as a teenager and underwent a series of successful surgeries. He said she started a blog and helped hundreds of children with similar disorders.
Dayna Less joined Mercy Hospital in July after graduating in May from Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy. Her father said she was planning to get married next June to her high-school sweetheart after dating for nearly a decade.
\u00ab\u00a0She was forged in her own adversity which made her the strongest person I will ever know,\u00a0\u00bb her father said.
SAMUEL JIMENEZ
Officer Samuel Jimenez had not been ordered to respond to the hospital when 911 calls came in about the shooting. In fact, he didn’t even hear calls about it on his radio.
The 28-year-old father and his partner were driving to a post office to deliver some mail from their police station when they saw police cars, with emergency lights flashing, and heard sirens. They turned their vehicle and headed in the direction where all the squad cars were going.
\u00ab\u00a0They weren’t assigned to that particular call but they went,\u00a0\u00bb Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said. \u00ab\u00a0They pulled up and heard the gunshots and ran toward the gunfire.\u00a0\u00bb
Jimenez, who was married with three children, was a longtime Chicagoan. He went to high school in the city and had recently completed his probationary period with Chicago police.
___
Karoub reported from Detroit.<\/p>\n

\n

Similarity rank: 21<\/div>\n

Sentiment rank: -1.5<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

TW posts: 19<\/div>\n

TW reposts: 4<\/div>\n

TW likes: 3<\/div>\n

TW sentiment: -10<\/div>\n<\/div>\n