A man working as a certified nursing assistant at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital was shot and killed early Monday morning by a co-worker, who investigators said fled the hospital in a U-Haul truck and later shot two Philadelphia police officers in the Parkside section of West Philly.
The alleged shooter, a 55-year-old man who was wearing body armor and carrying multiple guns, was shot by officers during a shootout in West Philly, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. He and the two officers were hospitalized at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and are expected to survive their injuries, according to Outlaw.
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Police were dispatched to Jefferson University Hospital around midnight Monday after receiving reports of a shooter on the ninth floor, Outlaw said. The nursing assistant, who has been identified as a 43-year-old man, was pronounced dead not long after being shot inside the hospital, according to a report from 6ABC.
Investigators believe the 43-year-old was "targeted" by the alleged shooter, Outlaw said.
"The reasons why, at this point, we still don't know," she said.
The alleged shooter entered the hospital in scrubs and was carrying a long gun, believed to be an AR-15, in addition to a semi-automatic handgun, Outlaw said. It's not clear if the alleged shooter was working Monday night, but Outlaw said he possibly accessed areas of the hospital that are only available to employees.
After shots were fired inside the hospital, the alleged shooter fled the scene in a U-Haul truck, Outlaw said. Around 1:25 a.m., near 40th Street and Parkside Avenue, a person alerted 16th District officers to a man wearing scrubs with a long gun in the area who was "potentially firing rounds in the air."
When four officers confronted the man, Outlaw said he shot at the officers. According to a report from FOX29, the man fired between 50 to 80 shots from an AR-15 at police, leaving bullets scatted across the front lawn of School of the Future.
A 30-year-old officer was shot in the right elbow, Outlaw said, and a 32-year-old officer was shot in the nose.
"This is yet another example of weaponry that is far too powerful being in the hands of people who shouldn't have access to them," Mayor Jim Kenney said in a tweet. "We need common-sense gun laws to stop these tragedies that have become all too frequent."
Officers shot the alleged shooter in the upper body and neck, according to Outlaw. He was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in "critical" condition but is expected to survive, she said.
The fatal shooting at Jefferson University Hospital is Philadelphia's second workplace homicide in just a matter of days. According to 6ABC, 25-year-old Nassir Day was shot and killed Friday morning while working as a security guard at an office building in the Logan section of the city. Wayne John Dorylis, 59, has been charged with murder in connection to Day's death.
"Active shooter situations are typically incidents that happen far and few in between," Outlaw said Monday morning, according to NBC10. " … It's not supposed to happen this close together, but we are all prepared to respond quickly and deal with it, and that's what we will continue to do."
As of Sunday night, Philadelphia had recorded 418 homicides in 2021, according to police data. The city has seen a rise in homicides every year since 2017 and is on track to reach the 500 mark for the first time since 1990.
This is a developing story and may be updated.