Employee shot dead at Philadelphia hospital, suspect injures two officers before capture

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(PHILADELPHIA) -- An employee at Philadelphia's Jefferson University Hospital was gunned down, allegedly by a coworker wearing scrubs, before the suspect shot and injured two officers during his capture, authorities said.

The shooting was reported at 12:13 a.m. local time at the hospital's Gibbon Building, according to an internal law enforcement briefing reviewed by ABC News. No one else at the hospital was hurt.

Philadelphia police said they believe the slain employee -- a 43-year-old male nursing assistant -- was targeted.

Police found the suspect outside a school about 4 miles from the hospital at 1:29 a.m. local time, the briefing said.

The gunman shot at police, striking two officers, before the suspect was injured and taken into custody, according to law enforcement.

One officer, a 30-year-old, was hit in the elbow and the other, a 32-year-old, was struck in the nose, police said.

Both officers are expected to survive, police said.

The suspect, who was wearing body armor and carrying multiple weapons, was struck by officers in the upper body and the neck, police said.

The 55-year-old suspect is expected to survive, police said.

Police searched a box truck the suspect was driving and found a gun, scrub pants and body armor, law enforcement said.

The hospital said in a statement, "Our hearts are broken as we stand together to remember our colleague and recognize his teammates who tried to save him and protect other patients in the area. We also value the bravery of our security guards, as well as Philadelphia police who were injured in apprehending the suspect."

"We are also very proud of the professionalism and dedication of our colleagues, who despite this tragic incident, continued to carry out their duties taking care of their patients and each other," the hospital said.

"We have comprehensive, consistent security measures and processes in place to ensure the safety of our patients, students, staff and visitor," the statement said. "Each Jefferson location has policies, procedures, ongoing training and drills to mitigate safety risks. Jefferson does not permit weapons on any of its campuses. In light of this tragic incident, we are offering counseling support for impacted employees and patients. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement during their investigation."

Monday, October 4, 2021 at 9:09AM by Emily Shapiro and Josh Margolin, ABC News Permalink