A shooting took place Monday evening at Mercy Hospital in the south side of Chicago resulting in multiple fatalities.
UPDATE, 9:10 P.M. EST – Chicago Police held a press conference and confirmed that four people are dead after the shooting at Mercy Hospital. One police officer, two female hospital staffers, and the suspect have all died.
The ordeal started with a verbal altercation between a man and a woman. A third person, who was a friend of those individuals, attempted to intervene in the altercation.
The suspect lifted his shirt to display a handgun, prompting the friend to flee into the hospital.
Shortly after, 911 received a call of an assault taking place in the parking lot. Soon after, a second call came in to report shots fired in the parking lot.
The male suspect shot and killed the female, who was his domestic partner and an employee of the hospital.
When officers responded on scene, the suspect immediately began opening fire on them before they could leave their squad cars. He then fled into the hospital, prompting officers to pursue him inside.
Inside the hospital, both police and the suspect exchanged fire.
During that exchange of gunfire, one female staff member and one officer were fatally wounded.
The suspect was also shot and killed, but it’s unclear whether he was hit by police gunfire or a self-inflicted wound.
The slain police officer has been identified as Samuel Jimenez.
It’s with profound sadness that we share the death of PO Samuel Jimenez from tonight’s senseless active shooter incident. Please pray for his family, his fellow officers & the entire #ChicagoPolice Department. Supt Eddie Johnson & @ChicagosMayor will hv a press briefing shortly pic.twitter.com/2onFeyaSDK
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) November 20, 2018
UPDATE, 5:45 P.M. EST – Chicago police said two people have died in the shooting, one of which is the shooter. Four additional gunshot victims are injured and reportedly in critical condition, according to ABC 7.
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At least one police officer has been shot and is reported in critical condition.
Chicago Police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi tweeted at about 5 p.m. EST, “A #ChicagoPolice officer has been shot in the active shooter incident at Mercy Hospital. He is in critical condition but receiving excellent care. Please send your prayers.”
A #ChicagoPolice officer has been shot in the active shooter incident at Mercy Hospital. He is in critical condition but receiving excellent care. Please send your prayers. pic.twitter.com/kFfMY1ZmF7
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) November 19, 2018
Guglielmi confirmed that “multiple victims” have resulted from the incident and “At least one possible offender is shot.”
Reports of multiple victims from incident at 26th and Michigan. Please avoid area. pic.twitter.com/VtDIr5b2Ok
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) November 19, 2018
He added that the Mercy Hospital area is undergoing a thorough search. Hospital patients and employees were being evacuated from the hospital.
Officers are doing a methodical search of Mercy hospital. At least one possible offender is shot. Please avoid the area of 26th and Michigan
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) November 19, 2018
Witnesses reported hearing gunfire outside the hospital and then again inside the hospital. “Code Blue” and “Code Silver” alarms reportedly went off inside the hospital, warning of casualties and an active shooter situation.
A woman who was in Chicago’s Mercy Hospital describes hearing an exchange of gunfire during a reported shooting there: “It was extreme and it was very loud and it was close” https://t.co/mGUPVr9iBP pic.twitter.com/HmuNvMDU6r
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 19, 2018
The officer and offender are thought to have wounded one another in an exchange of gunfire.
Sources said that the incident appeared to begin as a domestic incident involving the offender shooting his girlfriend.
One witness, James Gray, told Chicago’s ABC 7 that he saw a man and woman walking outside the hospital while speaking to one another.
“The gentleman turned around and shot three times in the chest,” Gray said. “Once she fell to the ground, he turned around and shot her three more times.”
“They were walking and talking and he just turned around and started shooting. It wasn’t a heated exchange. It was just like we’re talking now,” he said.
Afterward, he said the shooter then turned his rampage on others. “It looked like he was turning and shooting people at random,” he said.