Gail Sandidge was working at Good Shepherd Ambulatory Surgical Center in Longview, Texas, when 22-year-old Kyron Templeton moved about the hospital wielding a hunting knife. At 7 in the morning, Templeton ran through the hospital screaming, “You’re not going to kill my mother,” before stabbing and killing Sandidge as well as wounding four other people.

According to eyewitness Chad Jackson, “He had a death grip on the knife and he was just muttering and his eyes were kind of wild-looking. It was just, he was very confused.” Authorities were able to locate Templeton along a road close to the hospital to bring him to justice; however, the loss of Sandidge is something that has caused the whole community to grieve.

Sandidge’s sister, Debbie Pritchett, spoke about Gail as a loving person who was fulfilling her calling to help others through the nursing profession.

“From the time she was about 7 years old she knew she wanted to be a nurse. I think a lot of it goes back to living in a very dysfunctional household growing up and holding my baby brother before he passed on the way to the hospital and I think at that young age, that was something that she wanted to be, was a caregiver.”

Steve Altmiller who oversees Good Shepherd Health Systems echoed the sentiments of Pritchett. “Nurses are protectors by nature. And Gail, she fit that profile. She was protecting her patients in an act of courage today, and in so doing, she lost her life,” he said.

The community has tragically lost a valuable member. Pritchett explained how her sister used her unique, innate skills through a career that ultimately resulted in her tragic loss of life. “We often talked about, anybody could get through nursing school, but not anybody could be a good nurse. She was a good nurse,” Pritchett said.

Sad to see tragic events happen to people you know. Thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Gail Sandidge.

— Reese Gordon (@Reese_LNJ) November 26, 2013

"Nurses are protectors by nature" RIP Nurse Gail Sandidge

— Laura M. Gonzalez (@lawraw_gonzalez) November 27, 2013

[Image Via Facebook]