Four people were killed and several more wounded after gunman opened fire in the parking lot of Mercy Hospital in Chicago on Monday.
Police eventually secured the building but have yet to comment on a possible motive.
How the events unfolded
- Authorities received reports between 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. local time (900 and 930 UTC) of shots being fired near Mercy Hospital, located in the northern part of Chicago’s South Side, and required a “heavy police response.”
- Four people were critically injured, including one officer. Authorities confirmed later on Monday that the officer, Saul Jimenez, died.
- The suspected gunman was killed, but Anthony Gugliemi, communications director for the Chicago police, said it was unclear whether he took his own life or was killed by police.
- Mercy Hospital later confirmed that police “have secured the hospital and patients are safe.”
‘Praying for the victims’
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, who holds the second highest senate position for the opposition Democrats, said he was “praying for the victims” and was “extremely grateful” for the police response.
Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel said the incident “tears at the soul of our city, it is the face and the consequence of evil.”
One female staff member was fatally struck in the shootout. Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said the way his officers responded prevented more deaths.
“That poor woman that got off an elevator, had nothing to do with nothing and he shot her. Why?” he said. “There is no doubt in my mind that all those officers that responded were heroes and saved a lot of lives because we just don’t know how much damage he was prepared to do.”