Emergency responders went unharmed after a bullet struck their ambulance Tuesday morning on the West Side of Charleston.
Charleston police are searching for two suspects after someone fired at least 10 rounds from an assault-style rifle, said Lt. Steve Cooper, chief of detectives for the Charleston Police Department.
The shots were fired at about 3 a.m. in the area of Central Avenue and Vine Street. A single bullet hit the rear door of an ambulance, penetrating it completely.
Cooper later praised the paramedics for taking on a dangerous job.
"They're unarmed, and they risk life and limb every day with a lot of the problems we're dealing with - connected to the opioid epidemic," he said.
James, who declined to give his last name, said the ambulance arrived to treat his uncle's leg pain.
Standing at a nearby Go-Mart, James heard a burst of gunfire. He rushed to the intersection where his uncle was last seen.
"I came back and saw all the police out there, and I see the wheelchair, but I didn't see him," James said.
He said his uncle later called from the hospital. It seems the ambulance arrived as someone shot in his uncle's direction.
James said the person targeted either his uncle or a nearby person, but he's not sure why.
"A handicapped guy, man. I don't know why they would do something like that to him," he said.
A Kanawha County dispatcher said emergency responders heard the gunshots and later discovered a bullet hole in the ambulance.
"We have no idea if it was crossfire or if it was directly targeted towards EMS," the dispatcher said.
As the shots rang out, the ambulance drove away and the man took cover, Cooper said.
He said another ambulance arrived to treat the man shortly after.
"At this point we're examining ballistic evidence that we recovered from the scene," Cooper said. "We're attempting to collect possible video surveillance."
The Charleston Fire Department will take several steps to address future threats, said Lt. David Hodges, the fire department's director of EMS operations.
His department currently has about 10 bullet-resistant vests, each handed down from the police department.
The vests are expired and unable to stop the kind of ammunition used in Tuesday's attack.
Hodges said the department will reallocate its money in hopes of buying nearly 170 new vests at about $84,500.
West Side crime, he said, creates an ongoing threat for emergency responders.
He said emergency responders also will request help from law enforcement when responding to calls between Patrick Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
Hodges said two people occupied the ambulance on Tuesday. One is a veteran of the department, and the other is a newcomer.
"Physically, they are fine," Hodges said. "Mentally: very shaken up."
Reach Giuseppe Sabella at giuseppe.sabella@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5189 or follow @Gsabella on Twitter.