1 dead in Texas hospital shooting
Police killed a patient at a hospital in Irving, Texas, on June 30, after the man was found to have a handgun.
The incident took place at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Irving, according to local ABC news affiliate WFAA, and is the second shooting at a medical facility to grab headlines in recent weeks. In June, a gunman killed four people at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, hospital before police shot and killed him. That shooter targeted and killed the doctor who performed his back surgery.
In Irving, the suspect was identified as 34-year-old Michael McPhail, who arrived at the hospital around 7 p.m. on Wednesday night for medical reasons and was waiting in the emergency room. Hospital staff noticed his unusual behavior and saw a gun in his possession, prompting police involvement. When police attempted to talk to the suspect, he fired a shot in the room and pointed the gun and fired at police after they asked him to drop the gun.
McPhail was shot and killed by police officers at the scene. Police are still working to uncover details of the incident, WFAA reported.
Healthcare industry groups have been ringing alarm bells about the prevalence of gun violence and the threat to public health. For Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Irving, metal detectors and searchers before entering are not routine to enter the facility.
[AMA calls gun violence a healthcare crisis, adopting several new policies]
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Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."