A man in custody shot himself inside a Louisiana hospital April 23 after allegedly being involved in two kidnapping attempts.
Gary Saxton, 29, had been placed in custody by hospital security after a woman told hospital staff that he’d kidnapped her. After being searched and handcuffed, Saxton was able to retrieve a handgun he may have hidden before his search and commit suicide, according to nola.com.
Baton Rouge police first began looking for Saxton around 10:30 p.m. April 22 when a 32-year-old woman reported he’d attempted to kidnap her after she’d picked Saxton up to give him a ride to the airport. The woman, who’s dating Saxton’s relative, was able to escape the car and run into a nearby home, but Saxton drove away in her 2002 Saturn SUV.
Although news outlets have received contradictory timelines, at some point around midnight on the night of April 23, Saxton reportedly kidnapped a pregnant woman on Wilton Drive in Baton Rouge.
The woman was able to convince Saxton to go to Baton Rouge General Medical Center by complaining of pregnancy complications. The woman then alerted hospital staff to the alleged abduction, who notified hospital security.
Hospital security detained Saxton, searched him and placed him in handcuffs with his hands behind his back. Saxton was in a waiting room with hospital security officers nearby when he reportedly retrieved a gun that he hid in a seat before being searched, according to bcdemocrat.com.
Saxton fatally shot himself around 5 a.m., before Baton Rouge police arrived at the scene.
“We are proud of our extraordinary team for their swift action in a dangerous situation,” a recent statement from the medical center read.
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