Mentally Ill Gunman Shoots 3 at Tenn. Hospital

April 19, 2010 CS Staff

A man fatally shot a woman and wounded two others outside of a Tennessee hospital before killing himself on Monday.

The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. at the Parkwest Medical Center patient discharge area. Rachel Wattenbarger, 40, a six-year discharge employee at the hospital, died at the scene, according to the Associated Press. Parkwest employee Ariane Reagan Guerin, 26, and Nancy Chancellor, 32, survived the attack.

At least one of the surviving victims was in critical condition when she was taken to the trauma center at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Both women are now said to be in stable condition.

Investigators found a note by the gunman, Abdo Ibssa, 38, in his apartment which stated that he thought a doctor at Parkwest had implanted a monitoring device used to track his movements during an appendectomy in 2001, according to MSNBC.

Police also found medication used for treating a psychological condition in the suspect’s apartment. They believe Ibssa, who had been committed for mental treatment in February, had not been taking his medicine.

Authorities said there was no connection between any of the victims and the suspect. It is unclear how many shots were fired.

A cab driver who drove the suspect to the hospital said the man seemed angry and depressed before the shooting.

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