Local man wounded in Las Vegas shooting returns home

Palm Springs resident Mike Caster was one of the nearly 500 people wounded during the Las Vegas shooting that left 58 people dead back in early October.

Caster, who works at Eisenhower Medical Center, was shot in the back. His girlfriend risked her life to get him to the hospital. Doctors said it was too dangerous to remove the shrapnel lodged in Caster’s spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

For the last two months, Caster has spent his time at a rehab facility outside of Denver working to recover.

Caster returned to the valley for the first time since the ill-fated country music festival, now he and his girlfriend are navigating life a bit differently.

“You never think of all the things that you took for granted, you know? Going to a bathroom, or just sitting in a chair,” Caster said. “But at the same time, we don’t dwell. We can still have an amazing future so that’s what we look forward to.”

Caster says he is only home for a few days before he returns to Colorado for more therapy.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help his recovery, a wheelchair accessible, home, and car.