Wilmington, Delaware: Police said a person who shot two individuals inside Wilmington Hospital on Tuesday, killing one, was still at large several hours after the incident, AP reported.
Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos told reporters the shooting was reported at about 3:30 p.m. He refused to disclose the identities of the victims or the condition of the person who survived “out of respect for the families.” Police were trying to identify the shooter and determine how that person left the hospital, he added.
ChristianaCare, the health system that runs Wilmington Hospital, said in an emailed statement that it diverted patients away from its emergency department and was “taking all appropriate steps to ensure the safety of our patients, caregivers and visitors.” The statement described the situation as “an active police investigation for a possible active shooter.”
By Tuesday night the hospital’s lockdown had been lifted.
Wilmington Mayor John Carney thanked the victims and hospital staff who hid while police checked the building room by room. “If ever there is a place that should be a sanctuary for such violence, that is the place,” Carney said.
Patient Kristen Lackford, who was recuperating from feeding-tube surgery, described a frightening moment when officers in helmets and carrying large weapons kicked open her door. She said it was unsettling to watch them search under her bed and in her bathroom before they marked her door with a large letter “C” and left without explaining their actions. When she learned what had occurred and that the shooter might still be inside, Lackford said she felt like “a sitting duck.”
Incidents of violence at hospitals have been a continuing issue across the United States.
Wilmington, the state’s largest city with about 71,000 residents, is located roughly 25 miles (40 km) south of Philadelphia.
