Philadelphia, PA – A gunman fatally shot a certified nursing assistant inside a Philadelphia hospital early Monday morning and then fled the scene in a U-Haul before shooting two officers who tried to apprehend him.
The incident began at Jefferson University Hospital at Chestnut Street and 11th Street when the gunman fatally shot a 43-year-old certified nursing assistant on the ninth floor, Philadelphia Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw told reporters shortly before 4:30 a.m., according to WPVI.
“At Jefferson, ninth floor, saying there’s an employee shot. Be advised, inside Jefferson Hospital, we have an active shooter,” the dispatcher alerted as the information came in. “It’s going to be on the ninth floor. They’ve got a male with scrubs and a mask. Ninth floor, nine west.”
Commissioner Outlaw said the suspect, a 55-year-old certified nursing assistant at the hospital, was wearing scrubs at the time of the fatal attack, but it is unclear whether or not he was on shift at the time of the shooting, WPVI reported.
He may have entered the hospital through an employees-only access point, she noted.
Investigators are still investigating the history between the gunman and the victim.
“We do believe that other employee was targeted,” Commissioner Outlaw said, according to WPVI. “The reasons why, at this point we still don’t know.”
Investigators are also working to ascertain whether or not the suspect threatened the victim in the past, WCAU reported.
The shooter fled the hospital in a U-Haul truck, according to WPVI.
About an hour later, at approximately 1:25 a.m., a citizen flagged down officers near Parkside Avenue and 40th Street and told them they had just seen a man in scrubs who was armed with a “weapon or a long gun,” Commissioner Outlaw said.
The witness said the suspect “was potentially firing rounds in the air,” according to the commissioner.
The location of the report was approximately four miles from the hospital where the fatal shooting had taken place, WPVI reported.
Commissioner Outlaw said that when officers responded to the scene to intercept the armed man, he opened fire on them.
Investigators discovered the suspect was carrying multiple weapons, WPVI reported.
“We learned that he was wearing body armor and was carrying multiple weapons,” Commissioner Outlaw told reporters. “In addition to the long gun which was believed to be an AR-15, he was also carrying some form of a semi-automatic handgun.”
Two of the four officers who returned fire were shot during the ensuing gun battle, WPVI reported.
A 32-year-old, six-year department veteran was hit in the nose.
He was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and is now in stable condition, according to Commissioner Outlaw.
A 30-year-old, six-year department veteran was hit in his right elbow, WPVI reported.
He was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in critical-but-stable condition and will need to undergo surgery, according to the commissioner.
Both officers are expected to survive their wounds.
The gunman was shot in the neck and upper body, Commissioner Outlaw said.
He was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical center in critical condition, but is also expected to survive, WPVI reported.
His identity has not been released.
Commissioner Outlaw said investigators believe the gunman acted alone.
Police locked down the scene of the officer-involved shooting and were waiting to search for more evidence after daybreak, WPVI reported.
Early this morning, another active shooter took a person's life in our city. My thoughts are with the family of the victim, and our 4 courageous @PPD16Dist officers – 2 of whom were shot and wounded while apprehending the suspect. Their selflessness and bravery saved lives. pic.twitter.com/IbWH1h5dP1
— Danielle M. Outlaw (@PPDCommish) October 4, 2021
BREAKING: 1 Person shot and killed inside @TJUHospital, 2 @PhillyPolice officers shot during shootout with suspect… still waiting on conditions of suspect and officers. All 3 were transported to Presbyterian Medical Center. @CBSPhilly on scene. pic.twitter.com/Ht4iLBucpV
— Wakisha Bailey (@NewsWakisha) October 4, 2021
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