According to officials, a man opened fire in a busy New York hospital on Friday afternoon, killing a female doctor and wounding six other people before turning his weapon on himself.
The shooter was himself a doctor and former employee of the hospital, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio and police chief James O’Neill, who ruled out a connection to terrorism.
He entered the building in a white coat with an automatic weapon concealed under his shirt, officials said.
The incident occurred at the 1000-bed Bronx-Lebanon hospital just before 3 pm (1900 GMT) as many patients were receiving consultations.
Police quickly cordoned off the area and encircled the hospital, placing officers on rooftops as they conducted a floor-by-floor search for the assailant.
The shooter, whose identity has not been officially disclosed, was eventually found dead in a pool of blood on the 17th floor of the building after apparently killing himself, according to O’Neill.
The police chief added that the gunman apparently attempted “to set himself on fire” before activating the institution’s fire alarm system.
The dead doctor, a woman whose identity has also not yet been disclosed, was found nearby. The mayor said some doctors were “fighting for their lives right now,” without disclosing how many physicians were among the wounded.
Speaking at a press briefing, De Blasio said: “Thank God this is not an act of terrorism. It is an isolated incident.”
Several witnesses spoke of the panic that spread during the attack.
A pregnant woman who was undergoing a consultation on the 14th floor praised the way staff responded.
“I did as I was told and I’m safe and sound. They told us to go inside a room and hide. We were barricaded inside a room. The hospital staff was on top of everything. They were in control”.
Nurse Patricia Phipps said the shooting did not come as a shock given the borough it took place in, The Bronx, which is known for its high crime-rate.
She said: “The neighborhood is sketchy. So you’re not surprised sometimes these things happen when you work at hospitals like this. Things happen. That’s just living in New York. I just said to myself: it’s my turn.”
