An employee at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia shot and killed his coworker before getting into a shootout with police officers. Authorities received a 911 call about a shooting at the hospital just after midnight on Monday (October 4) and found a 43-year-old nursing assistant had been killed on the 9th floor.
The 55-year-old suspect, who was wearing scrubs at the time, fled the scene in a U-Haul before officers arrived. The alleged shooter was located about an hour later in a park after a witness reported he was shooting rounds into the air.
When officers approached the suspect, he opened fire on them. Two officers were shot and rushed to the hospital. One officer was hit in the arm, and the other was shot in the face. They are both expected to survive and are in stable condition.
The suspect, who was wearing body armor underneath his scrubs, was shot in the upper body and neck. He is in critical condition but is expected to survive. He was armed with multiple weapons, including an AR-15 and a handgun.
Officials believe the suspect targeted his victim but have not determined a motive for the shooting.
"We do believe that the other employee was targeted. Reasons are still unclear," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said during a news conference. "We don't know if the suspect was working tonight."