One person is reported dead and at least three others—including one police officer—were wounded after a gunman opened fire at a Chicago hospital on Monday afternoon.
The incident happened around 3:20 p.m. at Mercy Hospital & Medical Center. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Chicago Tribune that the suspect was found inside the hospital. He was reportedly shot in the head, but it was not known how he was shot.
The wounded police officer was found in the lobby of the hospital and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he is reportedly in critical condition. No information was available on the other two reported victims.
The incident was initially reported as an “active shooter” incident, but around 4:40 p.m. the hospital announced that police had secured the area and all patients were safe.
Witness James Gray told the Tribune that before the reported shooter opened fire, he was seen talking to the woman who would become his first victim. The two were walking and talking together outside the clinic area before the shooting began.
Gray said the gunman shot the woman three times in the chest then stood over her and shot her three more times after she had already fallen to the ground. When a police squad car turned on its lights and came down the drive toward the gunman, the gunman began firing at the squad car.
“It was chaos,” Gray said. “It was just mad chaos.”
Gray said the gunman ran into the hospital, where he appeared to begin shooting people at random.
Gray ran into the X-ray department and locked the door behind him.
Other witnesses described the same sort of chaos and confusion. People panicked. Some dropped to the ground. Others ran for cover. The hospital was eventually evacuated, and people were placed on CTA buses to be taken away from the scene while police officers attempted to deal with the situation.
Updated Monday, Nov. 19, 2019, 9:00 p.m. EST: The alleged gunman, a police officer and two others are confirmed dead after the shooting at Chicago’s Mercy Hospital & Medical Center Monday afternoon.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Officer Samuel Jimenez, who had joined the force in early 2017, was the officer found in the lobby of the hospital. The suspect was also found inside the hospital, shot in the head. It is unclear who shot the suspect or whether he shot himself. The third victim was also found inside the hospital.
The fourth victim, reported to be the suspect’s girlfriend, was shot multiple times outside the hospital. Sources told the Tribune it was possibly over a broken engagement.
This story is still developing and will be updated as more details become available.