When a firearm is involved in a suicide, homicide, or traumatic injury, surviving loved ones or property owners are responsible for cleaning blood, tissue, and gunshot residue after the victim is removed from the premises. If you are in this difficult position, you may be wondering how you’ll get through the physical and emotional shock, let alone the overwhelming task of cleaning up after gun violence.
You likely found us after seeking answers online:
“How do I clean up after an injury or death by gunshot? Where do I begin, and what biohazard cleaning supplies do I need? How do I safely clean or dispose of bloodstained furniture, drywall, and carpet? How long does it take to clean a home after a gunshot death if I’m doing the job myself?”
You’re asking the right questions. You may feel compelled to start cleaning up all visible blood, disposing of contaminated materials with your regular trash. You probably just want to get it over with as soon as possible.
If you’re like many of our customers, you may have started with the best intentions, but lost your energy and resolve midway through the process, and now you want to surrender the difficult cleanup of gunshot violence to a professional crime scene decontamination company. These are the tasks and situations we’re equipped to remedy, but you shouldn’t be expected to personally handle:
- Removal of fingerprint and DNA detection materials
- Neutralization and cleanup of tear gas and pepper spray
- Gunpowder residue cleanup
- Removal of bullet, bone, and tissue fragments embedded in surfaces
- Thorough inspection of premises for blood and any solid tissues (teeth, bone, hair, skin) left behind by first responders and medical examiners
- Complete sanitation of affected surfaces
- Neutralization of offensive odors at the source. No chemical smells or cover-up fragrances
- Safe and legal disposal of contaminated material
Gunshot fatalities and wounds, especially those by high-caliber firearms or shotguns distribute bone, blood, and soft tissue throughout and beyond the immediate trauma scene. Close range gunshot suicides or accidental discharges can embed fragments, tissue, and blood in wall and ceiling surfaces. Our job is to make sure nothing’s left behind for later discovery.
Our experienced Bio Recovery teams follow a comprehensive checklist to ensure each trauma and death scene cleaning project is completed according to OSHA, CDC, and EPA recommendations. But most importantly, we’re accountable to our clients. For more than a decade, we’ve earned the trust of families, local and national businesses, and hospitals. We clean up blood and bloodborne pathogens in correctional facilities, ambulances, and law enforcement vehicles, particularly when first responders have transported gunshot victims or perpetrators contaminated by blood and body fluids.
Professionals who regularly encounter gunshot trauma call us to relieve them of the emotional and technical burden. Give yourself permission to do the same. We’re available 24/7 at 1-800-556-0621 and our customer care staff will help you file a claim with your property insurance company. Should you need additional financial or emotional support, we’ll connect you with resources available to crime and trauma survivors.