Cops: Man Fatally Shoots Himself Inside Lobby Of Hospital Emergency Room In Woodbury
By Cleve Bryan
WOODBURY, N.J. (CBS) -- Police secured the emergency room entrance at Inspira Medical Center after authorities say around 11:40 a.m. a 26-year-old man walked into the ER lobby, went up to the admissions desk then without saying a word took out a gun and fatally shot himself in the head.
Timothy Ranger and Syreeta Saunders were right outside when it happened.
Ranger says, "They said somebody got shot, somebody shot themselves in the head."
Saunders adds, "I mean I was literally two seconds from going in and I saw my Grandpop across the street and that's what kept me from going in."
Staff at Inspira brought the man out of the lobby into the emergency room for treatment and later transferred him to Cooper Hospital.
Police recovered the gun and towed away the man's car.
No one else was hurt in the incident and the hospital won't say exactly what sort of security measures they took, but there was not a lockdown and no patient care was interrupted.
People in the hospital outside in the ER waiting room say there was no warning about the incident.
Trish DiGiacomo, a medical vendor, says,"Thank God he didn't start shooting other people. It could've gone in a totally different direction."
Brian Dorey and his girlfriend were on the third floor and found out through a newscast.
"We didn't hear anything from any staff member. I would have liked to have known about it."
Woodbury Police tell CBS 3 the man was pronounced dead around 5:15 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
