A police officer was killed and five other people were injured when a man took a hostage to the medical staff and opened fire in York, Pennsylvania, a hospital on Saturday morning, officers said.
The shooter, identified by authorities as the 49 -year -old Diogenes Archangel Ortiz, has also been killed, authorities said.
The other two law enforcement officers were shot dead by the arms and are in stable condition, said York Tim Barker County District Prosecutor at an afternoon press conference.
A doctor, nurse and trustee of intensive treatment suffered firearms, and a fourth employee was injured in the fall, according to Barker.
The shooter had arrived at the hospital, carrying a pistol and zipper bag and went straight to ICU, where he kept hostage staff, Barker said.
Employees were preparing to face the gunman and break the ICU when Ortiz was holding an ICU employee for a hostage under firing and ordered the police to return, according to Barker.
“They did so, so the person who holds hostages would not be hurt and tried to try to get involved in discussion with the Archangel Ortiz,” Barker said. According to Barker, the woman was also tied with her hands with a zipper, according to Barker.
When Ortiz came out into the hall, who was still holding the ICU employee under the shooting, the officers opened fire and fatally shot Ortiz, Barker confirmed.
The incident seems to be specially targeted at ICU, Barker said. In the previous week, the shooter was in contact with ICU for medical purposes involving another person, according to Barker.
“No patient was injured. The hospital is already sure, “Susan Manco, a spokesman for UPMC Memorial in York, told CNN.
The officer was killed was Andrew Duarte, his department confirmed on Facebook.
“He was a man who released the service uniform and went out to try to keep his neighbors safe,” said Pennsylvania Government Josh Shapiro at a press conference. “He must be praised for life life, though he cuts off the road too short from life to service to others. We are grateful to him. “
Pennsylvania lost a “hero”, a fraternal order of Police State Lodge President Joseph Regan and President of the New York County No. 73 Trent Bushman said in a statement.
“The site and the commitment of the Duarte officer to comply with the law are a certificate of selflessness, manifested daily by those who have devoted themselves to protection and service,” the statement said.
Witnesses describe the shooting scene
Jaden Robertson and his grandmother visit his aunt’s hospital room on the fourth floor in an UPMC memorial on Saturday morning when an intruder message was made.
At first, they didn’t think much about this, assuming that it might just be a “small child who forgot that he had a pocket knife in his pocket or something,” Robertson told CNN.
It was only when a friend was sending him news about news, stating that there was a shooting in the hospital that he and his family fully understood the severity of the situation.
When Robertson looked out the window, he saw many police cars and employees running toward their vehicles to take weapons and shields.
In the same building, Betsy Little visits her mother at the hospital around 10:30 in the morning when she started to hear “strange noises, a lot of activity, and then the alarms come out.”
When she looked out the window, people were running, she said, and a woman announced something about “blocking” over the intercom system.
“I was thinking, oh, something is happening here, but you never think it will be a shooting, not in a hospital,” a little, a 58 -year -old CNN said.
When the alarms went out, Malak said he believed that the door to the hospital room was locked. She pressed herself to the floor near the safety window, her mother quickly slept in her hospital bed throughout the bustle.
Minutes later, three or four police cars arrived and employees ran into the building with shields and weapons, she said she had seen through the window of the hospital room.
For the next hour, or around that, she watched the door window on the hospital’s door as the nurses ran back and forth on her floor as they screamed at each other.
At 11:41 in the morning, her daughter sent her that the shooter was “removed”.
At 3:00 pm, the little one is not yet allowed to leave the building and said that she had seen some of the nurses cry with each other in the hall.
“I feel sad for everyone, to be honest, I do it. This is a sad situation, “Little said.
Shapiro said that during the press conference, the state and local leaders would work with the affected health workers to ensure that they had resources to cure.
“I know that the trauma that healthcare professionals have to deal with here is not something that goes overnight,” Shapiro said.
“Every day when you put on your white coat or uniform to others here, at this wonderful hospital or at any hospital in Pennsylvania, you perform this feature because you take care of your neighbors and want to be sure they are healthy and safe S Something like this should never happen at your place of work. “
The Pennsylvania State Senator Dawn and the State Representative Seth Grove said in a joint statement that they were praying for “those who were injured and for loved ones who deal with unthinkable action.”
“Our hearts come to the victims, their families, and all those affected by this pointless act of violence,” said Keyer and Grove, thanked the first respondents, “for their quick action to ensure the scene, treat the wounded and guarantee the safety of our community. “
UPMC Memorial, a hospital with 104 beds, opened in August 2019 and provides emergency medical care, cardiology and vascular services, management of chronic diseases and surgical services. York is located in southern Pennsylvania.
Kia Fatahi, Sharif Paget, Sarah Dewberry and Natalie Barr have contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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