Portland hospital shooting claims one life while another injured

Police reported that one person was killed and another was injured after a suspect, who was later shot dead by officers, opened fire in a hospital in downtown Portland, Oregon on Saturday.

According to a news release from Portland police, the suspect, who reportedly escaped Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Centre following the shooting, was stopped in a car by police in Gresham, just east of Portland, and was shot and killed after cops opened fire.

According to Sgt. Kevin Allen, who shared details of the incident during a news conference, police arrived at the hospital at about 11am local time in response to reports of an active shooter inside the medical centre.

When the police arrived, they were informed that someone had started shooting inside the hospital. By the time police arrived, the alleged gunman had already left the hospital, according to a witness who spoke to police, Allen said.

Bobby Smallwood, a security guard at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, was shot and killed as a result of the shooting, according to police and a news release from the hospital.

Meanwhile, another unnamed staff member was injured but is now reported to be in stable condition, the hospital said. However, no patients were hurt in the shooting, CNN reported.

Additionally, police evacuated a Fred Meyer grocery store nearby to carry out a thorough search for the suspect. Officers later located the suspect and stopped the vehicle he was in, Portland police said.

“During the incident, shots were fired by police,” the police department release states. “The suspect is deceased. No officers were injured.”

Portland police released an official statement which said that three officers “used deadly force in this incident,” whose identities would be made public within 15 days barring any security threats, according to bureau policy.

The hospital, according to the release, was put on lockdown after the incident and lifted its shelter-in-place directive around 4:15pm local time.

The incident is being investigated by the police and relevant authorities while the identity of the suspect and the motive behind the shooting was not revealed

“Words cannot express the profound grief we are experiencing,” said Kathryn Correia, Legacy Health’s president and CEO, in a release from the hospital.

“We offer our unwavering support to Bobby’s loved ones, to our patients in our care, to the staff at Legacy Good Samaritan and to all of our employees and providers suffering today.”