A heartbreaking shooting incident at a hospital in Chicago resulted in the deaths of three innocent people.
A Chicago police officer and two female hospital workers were killed after the shooting unfolded at Mercy Hospital in Chicago on Monday.
Anthony Guglielmi, Chief Communications Officer for the Chicago police, confirmed that Officer Samuel Jimenez had been fatally wounded in the “senseless” tragedy
“It’s with profound sadness that we share the death of PO Samuel Jimenez from tonight’s senseless active shooter incident,” Guglielmi wrote. “Please pray for his family, his fellow officers & the entire #ChicagoPolice Department. Supt Eddie Johnson & @ChicagosMayor will hv a press briefing shortly.”
During a press briefing shortly after the incident, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson expressed their devastation for the people whose lives were cut so short “all doing what they love.”
“In a span of a few hours, the superintendent and I have seen the emotional highs and emotional lows of the Chicago police depart family. We started this morning at a promotion and a graduation… just hours later, a death in the line of duty, selfless in his actions,” Emanuel said.
“That’s a moment we all fear. The City of Chicago lost a doctor, a pharmaceutical assistant, and a police officer all going about their day, all doing what they love,” he continued. “This tears at the soul of our city. It is the face and the consequence of evil.”
Superintendent Johnson elaborated in the press briefing, explaining that a verbal dispute between known individuals in the hospital parking lot led to the deadly gunfire involving the suspect.
“There was a third subject out there who was a friend to one of the individuals. That friend attempted to intervene in the verbal dispute,” he said. “At that time, our offender, the male individual, lifted up his shirt and displayed a handgun… the acquaintance fled into the hospital.”
“911 received a call shortly thereafter of an assault taking place in the parking lot. A few seconds later, a call came in of shots fired in the parking lot,” Johnson continued. “Now, we know that the male individual shot and killed the female that he was in a domestic relationship with, who was an employee of the hospital.”
“One of the female employees at the hospital was shot fatal from the exchange,” he added. “One of our officers who responded was fatally wounded by the offender. During the gunfire, the offender was also fatally wounded. It is unclear right now if it was by police gunfire or a self-inflicted wound.”