One Dead, Two Hurt in Pa. Hospital Shooting

July 24, 2014
A gunman opened fire inside a hospital psychiatric unit of the Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital Thursday.

DARBY, Pa. (AP) — A gunman opened fire inside a hospital psychiatric unit on Thursday, leaving one hospital employee dead and a second injured before being critically wounded himself, a prosecutor said.

Just what led to the shooting was unknown, but the gunman had psychiatric problems, District Attorney Jack Whalen said.

The victim who was killed was described only as a female employee. A doctor suffered a graze wound and was expected to be released from treatment later in the day, Whelan said.

The prosecutor did not say who fired the shot that wounded the gunman but said two guns were recovered. He said the shooting was still being investigated.

The shooting occurred in the wellness center at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital. The center, which does not have metal detectors, is attached to the hospital by a pedestrian bridge.

"The scene is secure. Everyone is safe," Whelan told a late afternoon news conference.

The identities of the shooting suspect and the victims weren't immediately released.

The 213-bed teaching hospital in Darby, just southwest of downtown Philadelphia, is part of the Mercy Health System, a large Catholic health care network serving the region.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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