Fatal shooting inside Delaware hospital: ‘Senseless act of violence’

One person has died and another was wounded in a shooting inside ChristianaCare Wilmington Hospital Tuesday afternoon, authorities say.

The suspect remains at large, even after the hospital was cleared, Wilmington police chief Chief Wilfredo Campos said. The hospital was on lockdown for hours.

The identities of the victims were not released Tuesday night out of respect for the families, Campos said. Police were searching for the suspect and urged the public to be vigilant, and they also said they were working to determine how the suspect managed to get out of the hospital.

In a news conference Tuesday night, Wilmington Mayor John Carney called it a “senseless act of violence.”

“If ever there's a place that should be a sanctuary from such violence, that is the place,” Carney said.

Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, who attended the press conference, called it “a sobering reminder that no one is immune from the devastation of gun violence.”

“Every Delawarean deserves to feel safe, whether at home, at school, at work, or seeking care at a hospital,” Meyer said.

The governor said the tragedy hits close to home. His wife, Lauren Meyer, is an emergency physician at ChristianaCare. Meyer said he and his wife are keeping the victims and all those affected in their thoughts.

“Just a few minutes ago, I went with my wife, Lauren, who was reporting for work at ChristianaCare,” Meyer said. “What I saw were heroes going to work in that building, and heroes who were involved in lifesaving efforts, leaving at the end of their shift.”

Authorities didn't specify where the shootings took place, only saying that they occurred inside the hospital. The 321-bed hospital sits in Wilmington, a city of about 71,000 about miles from Philadelphia.

Campos acknowledged the horrifying situation for those in the hospitals.

“I want to offer my thoughts and prayers for the employees at Wilmington Hospital, who I know experienced a terrible day today,” Campos said. “It's hard to imagine what they were thinking as they were barricaded in rooms across the hospital as our law enforcement teams went through and cleared each of the floors.”

Jenn Schwartz, the executive vice president and chief strategy officer of ChristianaCare, said at the press conference Tuesday night that officials were working to determine how to proceed with reopening services and resuming normal operations.

“We just left the campus and were able to greet caregivers, both leaving the hospital and those starting their shift at the hospital, and it's truly extraordinary to see those caregivers showing up for work,” Schwartz said. “And that's what they do every day, is that they care for people, they care for the community, and they're showing up tonight to take that shift, even with what's transpired today.”

ChristianaCare asked families and friends of patients to stay away from the hospital during the lockdown. The lockdown was lifted Tuesday night as police cleared the area.

Schwartz said ChristianaCare is cooperating with authorities, and the health system is working to support its staff.

“Our focus right now is on supporting those caregivers that we talked about, so that they can care for this community and care for patients as they do every single day, and ensuring their safety as they go back to work,” Schwartz said. “A tragedy like this is especially painful in a place devoted to care. We take our responsibility to provide a safe environment for our patients, caregivers, and visitors seriously.”

Carney praised hospital staff for their dedication in a horrific situation.

“We offer special thanks again to those who worked through the incident at the hospital as they treated their patients,” Carney said.

While such shootings in hospitals are rare, there have been other fatal attacks in hospitals in recent months.

Ada Doss, a nurse at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was fatally shot in the hospital’s parking lot last month, authorities say. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody, and the health system pledged to take steps to bolster security.

A Chicago police officer was fatally shot and another officer was wounded at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Chicago in April. Authorities said the officer had taken the suspect to the hospital for treatment when the suspect managed to get hold of a firearm and shoot the two officers before fleeing the hospital. The suspect was arrested a few hours later.