The Unseen Scars of Gun Violence: A Survivor’s Chronic Pain and a Growing Public Health Crisis
The echo of gunshots, once a distant horror, has become a recurring nightmare for Mia Tretta, a young woman whose life has been irrevocably shaped by the pervasive specter of gun violence. Her story, a stark testament to the long-term physical and psychological toll of these tragedies, is gaining national attention as new research underscores the profound link between exposure to gun violence and chronic pain. Tretta’s experiences, from a high school shooting that claimed her best friend’s life to a campus incident that triggered a phantom pain response, illuminate a growing public health crisis that extends far beyond the immediate moments of violence.
A Life Interrupted: The Saugus High School Shooting
The first violent encounter that etched itself into Mia Tretta’s life occurred in 2019. As a freshman at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, her world was shattered by a sudden eruption of gunfire. A classmate opened fire with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, an act that resulted in the tragic deaths of two students, including Tretta’s best friend, and injured two others. Tretta herself was struck in the stomach, a wound that would mark her physically and psychologically for years to come.
The Saugus High School shooting, which occurred on November 14, 2019, sent shockwaves through the community and the nation. The perpetrator, a 16-year-old student, carried out the attack in the school’s quad during a Thursday morning. The motive behind the violence remained a subject of intense investigation, but the devastating impact on the students, staff, and families was undeniable. The immediate aftermath saw a campus placed on lockdown, frantic reunification efforts, and a community grappling with unimaginable grief and trauma. For Tretta, the physical pain of her injury was compounded by the profound loss of her closest friend, a double blow that would set the stage for future struggles.
The Lingering Trauma: "Phantom Bullet Syndrome"
Years later, having navigated the arduous process of recovery from her initial injury, including surgeries to remove bullet fragments, Tretta enrolled at Brown University in December 2025. She was immersed in her final exams, a period of intense academic pressure, when her dorm room was flooded with urgent messages about an active shooter on campus. The proximity of this new threat, the fear that gripped the university, triggered a visceral and deeply unsettling physical reaction. Tretta described experiencing a sharp pain in her stomach, precisely where she had been shot years prior. This phenomenon, which she has termed "phantom bullet syndrome," mirrors the concept of phantom limb syndrome, where individuals continue to feel sensations in a limb that has been amputated. For Tretta, this syndrome manifests during moments of extreme stress, a physical manifestation of her enduring trauma.
The Brown University shooting, the details of which are still emerging, added another layer of terror to Tretta’s already scarred psyche. While the specifics of the perpetrator and the full extent of casualties are being investigated, the mere presence of an active shooter on campus reignited the deep-seated anxieties associated with her past trauma. The fact that she was in a safe location and physically unharmed this time was a stark contrast to her experience at Saugus High, yet the psychological impact was profound. This dual experience of surviving two separate gun violence incidents positions Tretta as a member of a "small but growing" cohort of young people who have been repeatedly exposed to such horrors.
A Growing Body of Evidence: Gun Violence and Chronic Pain
Tretta’s lived experience aligns with a groundbreaking study published in BMC Public Health in January, which provides robust evidence linking both direct and indirect exposure to gun violence with significantly higher rates of chronic pain among American adults. The research, conducted by Rutgers University, investigated the impact of six distinct types of gun violence exposure: being shot, being threatened with a gun, hearing gunshots, witnessing a shooting, knowing a friend or family member who was shot, and knowing someone who died by firearm suicide.
The study analyzed data from a nationally representative survey of 8,009 individuals. Its findings revealed a stark correlation: 23.9% of respondents who had experienced gun violence exposure reported experiencing pain most days or every day, while an additional 18.8% indicated they suffered from severe pain. This data highlights that the physical repercussions of gun violence are far more pervasive and long-lasting than previously understood, extending beyond immediate injuries to encompass persistent, debilitating pain.
Daniel Semenza, the lead author of the Rutgers study and director of research at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, emphasized the inseparable nature of mental and physical health in the context of gun violence. "Your body, through the experience of post-traumatic stress, is going to feel as if it’s happening over and over and over again," Semenza explained. This neurobiological response, where the body re-experiences the trauma, can contribute to the development and persistence of chronic pain. The study’s methodology, employing a large and diverse sample size, lends significant weight to its conclusions, establishing a strong empirical foundation for the connection between gun violence exposure and chronic pain.
The Physical Toll: Beyond the Bullet Fragments
Tretta’s journey has been marked by a relentless battle with physical ailments stemming from the Saugus High shooting. While she underwent surgeries to remove bullet fragments, residual pieces remain lodged within her body, a constant physical reminder of the attack. The lingering pain from her injuries necessitated a nerve block, a medical intervention designed to alleviate chronic discomfort. However, the impact of the shooting has extended beyond the direct wound. Tretta was also diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation, pain, and stiffness in the joints.
"I have dealt with chronic pain, immunodeficiencies, and bodily differences ever since the shooting happened," Tretta shared. Her descriptions paint a vivid picture of the pervasive and debilitating nature of her chronic pain. "Every time I get a fever, it’s a completely different thing than anyone else I know, or even pre-shooting for me. I shake uncontrollably, and it hurts to even touch my arm." These personal accounts underscore the profound and multifaceted physical consequences of gun violence, demonstrating how it can fundamentally alter an individual’s physiological functioning and quality of life. The Rutgers study’s focus on chronic pain as a key outcome of gun violence exposure is groundbreaking, shedding light on a critical aspect of the physical health toll that has often been overlooked.
A Ripple Effect: The Broad Societal Impact
The implications of the Rutgers study and Tretta’s story extend far beyond the individuals directly affected by gun violence. Efrat Eichenbaum, an inpatient psychologist who has treated gun violence survivors and their families at a Level 1 trauma center in north Minneapolis, corroborated the study’s findings with her extensive clinical experience. "You can plainly see the trauma that follows an event like that," she stated. "Not just for the survivors, but for their families. It does not even limit itself to family members. This is an issue that touches entire communities." This perspective highlights the cascading effect of gun violence, illustrating how its impact reverberates through families, friendships, and entire social networks.
David Patterson, an emeritus professor at the University of Washington whose work centers on pain management, underscored the societal cost of chronic pain, a condition exacerbated by gun violence. "Chronic pain is a major health problem in itself, and it costs our society billions of dollars because it’s very hard to manage," Patterson explained. "You can’t cure it; it has to be managed." This economic burden, coupled with the immeasurable human suffering, underscores the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address gun violence and its long-term health consequences. The Rutgers study is among the first to quantify this burden, offering critical data for policymakers and public health officials.
A Constant Reminder: The Unending Battle
For Tretta, the physical and emotional scars of the Saugus High shooting are a constant companion. Even years after the initial trauma, her body bears the indelible marks of the violence. "Your body will never be the same as it was before," she reflected, her voice tinged with the weariness of her ongoing struggle. "There’s no time that you can’t feel the 7 or 8 inches of scar tissue running through the middle of your stomach. It’s just a constant physical reminder, because you can’t leave your body." This powerful statement encapsulates the inescapable nature of physical trauma, emphasizing that for survivors, the healing process is not a finite journey but an ongoing commitment to managing the lasting effects of violence.
The medical care required by survivors like Tretta extends far beyond the initial hospital stay. It involves long-term management of pain, chronic conditions, and psychological distress. The financial burden on individuals and the healthcare system is substantial, and the emotional toll on survivors and their families is immeasurable. As the nation grapples with the persistent epidemic of gun violence, Tretta’s story and the scientific research supporting it serve as a critical call to action. Understanding the profound and multifaceted impact of gun violence, particularly its link to chronic pain, is essential for developing effective prevention strategies, providing adequate support for survivors, and ultimately, creating safer communities for all. The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to covering gun violence in America, continues to shed light on these critical issues, urging for a broader societal acknowledgment of the unseen scars left by firearms.
