Murder-Suicide at Johns Hopkins Prompts Review of Emergency Plans
BALTIMORE– A gunman, who opened fire at Johns Hopkins hospital and critically wounded a physician, killed his mother and then himself during a standoff with police, MSNBC reports.
The suspect, Paul Warren Pardus, 50, barricaded himself in a room with his mother on the eighth floor of Hopkins’ Nelson Building, a thoracic center on the facility’s campus on Sept. 16, reports the Baltimore Sun. The shooter was reportedly upset about his mother’s treatment at the hospital and shot Dr. David Cohen, 50, in the stomach during surgery, CNN reports.
Sections of the building were placed on lockdown around 11:15 a.m., while other areas were evacuated. Police, fire, SWAT and snipers were present at the scene.
When the lockdown was lifted, visitors were asked to stay away from the Nelson Building, according to the hospital’s Web site. John Hopkins employees with identification were asked not to attempt access to the eighth floor of the building.
Cohen, who was treated at the facility, is now in good condition.
As a result of the shooting, Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III met up with nine institutions on Sept. 21, including Coppin State University, Loyola University, Morgan State University and the University of Maryland, in an effort to improve communication between local law enforcement and institutions during emergencies.
Additionally, the Baltimore Police Department plans to practice evacuation techniques with schools in hospitals.
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