This story has been updated at https://wyandotteonline.com/update-shooting-victim-dies/.
One person is dead after a shooting near the entrance of the University of Kansas Hospital Monday night in Kansas City, Kansas.
According to Officer Jonathan Westbrook, a Kansas City, Kansas, police spokesman, the shooter died by his own hand after shooting a male victim at the entrance to KU Hospital. The male victim has life-threatening injuries and a female victim has injuries that are not life-threatening, according to authorities.
Police believe it was a domestic case, he said.
The incident is believed to have started about 11:30 p.m. Dec. 3 with a shooting near 7th and Osage in Kansas City, Kansas, a KU Health Systems news release stated. Wounded, the victim drove himself and a female passenger to KU Hospital while being pursued by a suspected shooter.
The driver exited the car at the entrance to the emergency department ramp and began running up Cambridge Street toward the hospital main entrance, which was secured for late-night hours, according to the hospital news release.
The suspect then caught up with the driver at the entrance doors, where he shot the driver again, according to the hospital news release.
The shooter then turned the gun on himself, and is dead, police said.
The two victims and the shooter were taken to the emergency department for treatment, according to the hospital news release.
At the double doors of the hospital entrance, one set of doors is always kept locked after 8 p.m., according to the hospital news release.
Officer Westbrook said it was a difficult situation for the victims, and one should not second-guess their decisions. It is advisable to notify authorities of a life-threatening situation, he said, and getting away from the threat is ideal.
“If you’re at a situation where your life is threatened, notify us immediately, and we’ll get there as soon as possible,” he said. “If you’re running away, find some safe place to run to. In this case, the suspect was determined to inflict harm and was successful.”
According to a KU Health Systems news release, no hospital or university employees were involved in the shooting. Patients, visitors and staff were safe and secure inside the hospital while the crime took place, according to the news release.
“The security and safety of our patients is our top priority always,” Tammy Peterman, president of Kansas City division and executive vice president, chief operating officer, chief nursing officer for The University of Kansas Health System said in the news release. “No one wants to receive this kind of news, but our combined hospital and University of Kansas Medical Center campus has worked hard together on safety protocols and drills to keep everyone as safe as possible.”
It is standard protocol to lock hospital entrances after 8 p.m., except where visitors or patients must pass through security guards that are supported by armed police officers, according to the news release.
“The shooter never gained access to the hospital,” Chris Ruder, chief operating officer of Kansas City division for The University of Kansas Health System said in the news release. “Additionally, University of Kansas Police Department and our emergency preparedness teams have drilled for several years with hospital staff to prepare us for this moment … a moment you hope you never have to test. We are grateful for those drills and that KU police responded in less than a minute after the alert went out.”
According to the KU Health Systems news release, an alert warning of an active shooter went out campus-wide to hospital employees and KU Medical Center students, faculty and staff. The alert reminded everyone of safety precautions to take in the case of an active shooter and where the danger was located. The alert came and went very quickly as the shooting resolved and the work to help the victims began, according to the hospital news release.