Employee Shoots Two at Connecticut Hospital

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. -- An employee of the Hospital for Special Care pulled out a gun during a disciplinary dispute on Wednesday evening and shot two supervisors, seriously injuring both, according to police. The suspect was arrested shortly afterward at his house.

No other employees or any patients at the hospital at 2150 Corbin Ave. were injured, Chief William Gagliardi said at a press conference. He said it appeared that the shooting was directed at the supervisors.

The suspect, Victor Valcarcel Sr., 64, of 37 Helen Drive, was arrested without incident at his house, about a mile and a half from the hospital, Gagliardi said. He was being held Wednesday night at the New Britain Police Department and was charged with two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of criminal intent to commit murder, Gagliardi said.

Sources said that Valcarcel was a maintenance worker at the hospital, a long-term, acute-care facility with 228 beds. He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday at Superior Court in New Britain.

Police said that a firearm had been recovered at Valcarcel's house, but could not say whether it was used in the shooting.

The victims, identified as Lynn Trask and Robert Barucci, both supervisors, were in serious but stable condition at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Centerin Hartford, officials said. Officials said that the shooting occurred during an attempt to discipline Valcarcel and that he was still employed at the time.

One victim was a staff supervisor, and the other was a per-diem supervisor, said Lynn Ricci, a senior vice president at the hospital.

The shooting occurred in a maintenance area in the basement of the three-story hospital, away from patient areas, according to acting Capt. James Wardwell.

Police were called to the hospital at 5:53 p.m. on a report that two people had been shot. Because of the size of the hospital building, police could not be sure where the shooter was and called in mutual aid from other towns, Gagliardi said.

The hospital was locked down, but police determined that the shooter was no longer in the building, Gagliardi said.

The suspect was widely known among staff members, and police went to his home and arrested him about 7 p.m., he said. Detectives found him standing in his driveway, unarmed and calm, police said.

Additional charges were possible, Wardwell said, adding that detectives would be gathering evidence at several locations throughout the night.

Gagliardi said that state police and emergency responders from New Britain, Plainville, Hartford, West Hartford and Farmington helped at the scene. Hours after the shootings, a helicopter with a spotlight was still hovering over the scene.

The Hospital for Special Care has locations in New Britain and in Hartford, and offers advanced care and rehabilitation in areas such as pulmonary care, brain injuries, complex pediatrics, neuromuscular disorders and spinal cord injuries.

Courant staff writers Don Stacom, Bill Leukhardt and Samaia Hernandez and Fox CT's Lauren Meltzer and Michael McGuire contributed to this story.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service