Silly assumptions; could've been someone trying to make it look like it was a scorned woman-he'd had a break in a week earlier, anything could've been up.
Redskins' Taylor Responsive After Surgery for Gunshot Wound
MIAMI, Nov. 27 -- Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor was responsive and squeezed the hand of a doctor tonight, after seven hours of surgery for a gunshot wound suffered at his home early Monday.
"He was responsive to the doctor's requests to squeeze his hands and showed facial expressions. The doctors were very happy about that," Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins vice president of football operations, said in a telephone interview shortly after 7 p.m. "Two doctors came and told us they were excited about that."
Taylor had been described as "non-responsive and unconscious," and doctors were "worried about a possible brain injury" caused by the loss of oxygen to the brain, according to Richard Sharpstein, who has represented Taylor in legal matters in the past. Taylor had flat-lined twice during surgery, a team source said.
Taylor was hospitalized after police received a 1:45 a.m. call from a woman inside Taylor's residence saying that a man had been shot in the affluent suburb of Palmetto Bay, Miami-Dade police officials said. Ambulance crews found the 24-year-old defensive star struck in the lower extremities, Lt. Nancy Perez said.
Taylor was flown to the Ryder Trauma Center of Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he underwent surgery. Perez said police had not yet been able to speak with him to confirm how the shooting occurred.
"It could have been a possible burglary, it could have been a possible robbery. It has not been confirmed as yet," Perez told The Washington Post. She said she could not say how many shots had been fired or whether there were signs of forced entry.
Sharpstein said Taylor's responses Monday night provided "a great ray of sunshine, but we're not out of the woods yet. The doctors are still guarded about the diagnosis. Until he comes to and speaks and recognizes people, they are going to be guarded, but this was obviously a very positive sign and a recognition of a command."
Taylor is in intensive care, Sharpstein said.
Taylor's condition had improved dramatically from earlier in the day. "Right now, he's clinging to life and we're all praying he makes it," Sharpstein had said shortly after 3 p.m.
According to Sharpstein, Taylor was sleeping when he heard a noise in the living room. Taylor reached for some large knife such as a machete that he keeps nearby in case of emergency, and when he encountered the intruder two shots were fired, with one striking his leg.
Police on Monday were interviewing Taylor's fiancee and several other relatives who were in the house to try to determine what precipitated the shooting. It was not immediately clear whether the people were relatives of Taylor or of his girlfriend.
The Associated Press reported that another invasion was reported at Taylor's home eight days ago. According to police records, someone pried open a front window, rifled through his drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed.
