Two dead in apparent murder-suicide in New York hospital
A female patient and a male visitor are found with gunshot wounds in a fourth floor room at a New York hospital.
Wednesday 8 August 2018 22:00, UK
Two people in their 70s are dead in an apparent murder-suicide after shots were fired in a patient's hospital room.
Police attended after shots were fired on the fourth floor at around 9.30am local time (2.30pm BST) at the Westchester Medical Center in New York.
They have since confirmed a female patient and a male visitor were shot dead in the patient's room.
Commissioner Thomas Gleeson, of Westchester Police, said: "We had three officers on the scene within two minutes, and hospital security also responded immediately.
"They discovered two gunshot victims in the room when they entered and a weapon on the floor.
"Medical staff responded and worked on the victims, but they were pronounced dead.
"The female was a patient, and the man was a visitor. They were in their 70s."
He said the incident was isolated and there is no wider threat.
He said there is a relationship between the two people, but that was still being established and appears to be a murder suicide incident.
Kara Bennorth, from the medical centre, said: "Everyone is safe. This was isolated, and our staff responded fantastically and handled this remarkably.
"The armed security rounded in the hospital and responded immediately."
The weapon was a .38 calibre revolver, which belonged to the man and was licensed.
The incident happened in the patient's room and there was no nurse present at the time.
Images shared across social media showed police blocking the entrance to the hospital.