2 Deadly Workplace Shootings In Less Than Week In Philadelphia Leave Employers Assessing Active Shooter Plans
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Monday morning's shooting at Jefferson Hospital was the second deadly workplace shooting in four days in Philadelphia. A gunman opened fire inside the Logan Plaza building along Old York Road on Friday. Security guard Nassir Day died. That gunman is charged with murder.
These shootings have many considering their own safety.
One local hospital team told Eyewitness News on Monday night that they've been doing active shooter training since 2007 and that when something like this happens, it's hard not to think "what if?"
"If I had come two hours before, I would have been in the middle of it," Carl Bagelle said.
When Bagelle dropped his wife off for surgery Monday around 4:30 a.m., he didn't realize how close to danger they had come.
"We were on that ninth floor," he said, "and that's where she is now."
"Shortly after midnight, we learned that one of our members was slained in his workplace at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital where he worked as a certified nursing assistant," Chris Woods, president of the National Union of Hospital and Healthcare Workers, said.
According to police, the gunman, who also worked as a nursing assistant at Jefferson, walked up to the ninth floor wearing his scrubs and armed with body armor and multiple weapons, including an AR-15. Police say the suspect shot and killed 43-year-old Anrae James.
"It was unclear what sparked this atrocious shooting," Woods said.
"This could be any organization, any location, any setting," Paul Sarnese, assistant president for Safety, Security & Emergency Management at Virtua Health, said.
In the hours since, security officials with a South Jersey medical group are assessing their own security readiness and asking employees to help be their eyes and ears for potential threats.
"We may have 100 security officers, but there could be 15,000 employees," Sarnese said. "Employees play a huge role in this."
Those closest to this latest attack are left to cope.
"I feel bad for the nurses and all the people working there, they are in shock," Bagelle said. "It happened right there in front of them, and they knew these people."
Jefferson Hospital released a statement that reads, in part, "Safety and security is a top priority for Jefferson. A thorough review will take place to ensure best practices in our safety protocols for all Jefferson facilities."
