A Missouri firefighter who was seriously wounded during a shooting while off duty last month has been released from the hospital this week.
Kinloch firefighter Arlydia Bufford, one of three women shot at an Applebee’s restaurant in St. John on June 22, was moved to a rehabilitation center to continue physical therapy, KMOV-TV reports. She had been on a ventilator until the end of June but is now breathing on her own as she recovers.
"[She] has a long road ahead of her, and we stand committed to seeing her through," a statement from the Kinloch Police Department said, according to KMOV. "Please continue the positive thoughts and prayers, they are working!"
Bufford, 20, was eating dinner with a classmate after their EMT training when a gunman opened fire in the restaurant, wounding the volunteer firefighter. Two women at another also were shot, with one of the victims dying in the exchange.
Courtney Demond Washington, 28, was arrested and charged in the incident. Investigators have not established a motive in the shooting or determined a connection between Washington and his victims.
Bufford has had multiple surgeries following the shooting. It's not clear when she will be able to return home to continue her recovery, KMOV added.
Information on how to send cards to Bufford or to donate money to her family can be found on the Kinloch Fire Protection District's Facebook page.
