Texas Church Shooting Survivor Ryland Ward Finally Goes Home

By Richard Gonzales / NPR

Published January 11, 2018 at 12:59 PM PST

This story was published more than 6 years ago.

A fire crew gave Ryland Ward a lift home after he was released from the hospital. The 6-year-old survived wounds suffered in the attack on a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in November.

Updated at 8:20 p.m. ET

The last hospitalized victim from the Sutherland Springs church massacre in November, 6-year-old Ryland Ward, was released from University Hospital in San Antonio on Thursday and departed in grand style: He rode home in a fire truck.

Ryland was among the 20 people who survived the shooting attack by a gunman at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, 30 miles southeast of San Antonio. The attacker, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot, also killed more than a dozen others.

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Ryland has been recovering from five gunshot wounds he suffered in the attack.

His hospital discharge was announced in a statement by University Health System:

"Ryland and his family are happy to be going home. Many of us at University Health System who have been touched by the strength and spirit of Ryland and the other Sutherland Springs patients celebrate this milestone with them and their families."

The hospital provided no details about Ryland's medical condition.

All of the others injured in the shooting were previously discharged from University Health System and two other area hospitals.