DETROIT — A patient has been deemed brain-dead after he shot at a DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital employee before turning the gun on himself.
The incident occurred around 10:25 p.m. Sunday in the patient’s room in the intensive care unit. The patient, identified as a 48-year-old man from Detroit, shot at the nurse who retreated and was unharmed, Fox 2 reports. Seconds after the first shot, another shot rang out. Hospital security responded to the patient’s room and found him with an “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” according to Detroit Police.
Sources told Fox 2 that the patient was admitted to the hospital three weeks ago for pneumonia-like symptoms. He is paralyzed and allegedly suffers from mental health issues. In a statement Monday, a DMC spokesperson said the incident was an attempted suicide.
“We are grateful for the bravery of our staff, security team and DMC Police Authority officers for their swift response to ensure the safety of our patients and staff,” the statement said. “The DMC Police Authority were able to immediately secure the unit, quickly containing the situation.
An investigation is underway to determine how the patient was able to sneak the gun into the room. Several current and former employees said metal detectors are part of the hospital intake process but not necessarily if a patient comes in by ambulance.
“Regardless of the situation, we do not tolerate actions that place our DMC team members or patients in harm’s way,” the statement continued. “We are actively reviewing patient and visitor screening protocols and have counseling resources available for staff members.”
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can text TALK to 741741 or initiate an online chat at suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/. Additional resources can also be found at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
