A domestic dispute may have been the motive behind a Friday morning shooting at Baton Rouge General Medical Center Mid City hospital that left two visitors wounded, one with life-threatening injuries, and police searching for the gunman.
The incident occurred at around 12:35 a.m. on Friday morning. The East Baton Rouge Police Department was searching Friday for the alleged attacker, identified as Darrell Garner, 36, who is wanted on two counts of attempted first?degree murder.
"We are deeply saddened that domestic situations have spilled over into a community hospital setting," said Bill Holman, president/CEO of BRGMC. "Hospitals should be a place for healing and wellness."
When East Baton Rouge police officers arrived at the hospital, they placed it in lockdown for four hours, and searched the entire campus. No employees or patients were injured during the shooting, and normal shift operations have since resumed.
"We thank the East Baton Rouge Police Department for their very fast and strong response to the situation and for dedicating so many officers to the response," Holman said. "We also thank our employees for responding appropriately in this emergency to ensure the safety of patients, and for their actions to provide care for those involved. It is our hope that the police will quickly apprehend the individual responsible for this and we thank the community for the outpouring of support."
See Also:
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Let's Raise Public Awareness of Hospital Violence
Healthcare Violence Is Increasing; Is Your Hospital Prepared?
ED Shooting Shows Why Confronting Hospital Violence Must Be A Priority
John Commins is the news editor for HealthLeaders.