A Houston firefighter and his wife, a physician, turned a vacation into a life-saving mission after a gunman opened fire at a popular tourist site north of Mexico City this week.
Dr. Jyothi Lagisetty and her husband, Houston Fire Department Capt. Andrew Roseborrough, were visiting the Mayan pyramids Monday when shots rang out among a group of tourists.
“We’d never been to Mexico City — the flights were cheap and we were like, ‘Let’s do it,’” Lagisetty said.
The couple had arrived Sunday for a short trip. On Monday, they joined a tour group to visit the pyramids and nearby ruins about an hour outside the city.
Lagisetty remained at the base while Roseborrough climbed to the top to take photos. As he started descending, he heard gunfire.
“I was about five or six steps down when I heard a loud pop,” Roseborrough said. “As I was thinking what that might have been, I heard about five or six more shots fired.”
Mexican authorities said a 27-year-old gunman opened fire on tourists, wounding seven people and briefly taking others hostage. Roseborrough rushed down to his wife, and the two took cover behind a stone wall.
“It was surreal watching him waving the gun in the air and shooting it with hostages up there,” Lagisetty said.
Authorities said Mexican military personnel arrived within minutes. The gunman later died by suicide.
Amid the chaos, the couple heard a call for help.
“We just heard someone yelling for a doctor, and I don’t even think we said a word,” Lagisetty said. “We just ran to where the voice was.”
They found a young boy, believed to be between 5 and 7 years old, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his lower body.
Lagisetty, a pediatric emergency medicine physician, immediately began treating him.
“What are the odds that that would happen when you were right there?” she was asked. “Next to nothing.”
After stabilizing the child, the couple moved on to assist his injured mother.
“Between a great firefighter and having an emergency room doctor there, we were able to secure the scene and get everyone everything that they needed,” Roseborrough said.
Both the boy and his mother were taken to a hospital and are expected to survive.
Marty Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, said the couple’s actions reflect the commitment of first responders, even off duty.
“When someone calls out that we need help … without question, without missing a beat, they step in and do what they do best, which is save lives,” Lancton said.
Back home in Houston, the couple said they were simply grateful they were there at the right time.
“We’re just glad to have been able to help,” Lagisetty said.
Roseborrough added that while he knew his wife’s expertise, seeing her in action under such circumstances left a lasting impression.
“I know what kind of doctor she is, but I’ve never seen her on a live scene,” he said. “I was very impressed with my wife that day.”
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