Suspect who killed police officer, held Pennsylvania hospital staff hostage visited ICU the week before
A gunman who held medical staff hostage before killing a police officer and wounding five others at a hospital in south-central Pennsylvania Saturday is believed to have visited the facility in the days leading up to the incident, authorities said.
The gunman, identified by officials as Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, 49, was killed in a shootout with police, authorities said.
'I can say at this time that Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz did appear to have contact previously in the week in the ICU for a medical purpose involving another individual,' York County District Attorney Tim Barker said at a Saturday news conference. Barker declined to provide more information on the individual, citing privacy concerns and the ongoing investigation.
Though the motive for the attack at UPMC Memorial Hospital in the city of York remains unclear, Barker said the shooting appeared to be 'targeted at the ICU.'
'We do not have any further information provided this time, but obviously, if you are arriving at a hospital with a firearm and zip ties and immediately proceed to a specific area and engage in these actions that this was targeted,' Barker said.
Shortly after Archangel-Ortiz arrived at the hospital, he held several staff members hostage –– holding one employee at gunpoint with her hands tied with zip ties as police breached the ICU and attempted to engage in a discussion with the gunman, police said.
The gunman then went out into the hallway, still holding the ICU employee at gunpoint and threatening the hostage, when officers opened fire and killed him, according to authorities. At the same time, the gunman opened fired and struck three officers, killing one who was later identified as West York Borough Police Department Officer Andrew Duarte.
'They needed to use deadly force because by doing so, they potentially save even more lives, even as they lost one of their own,' Barker said.
The two additional law enforcement officers shot by the gunman are in stable condition, Barker said.
An intensive care unit doctor, nurse and a custodian suffered gunshot wounds and are in stable condition, and a fourth employee was injured in a fall, according to Barker. No patients were injured, Susan Manko, a spokesperson for UPMC Memorial told CNN.
Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage of the shooting as well as taking statements from law enforcement involved and those in the vicinity, the district attorney said.
The West York Borough Police Department confirmed Duarte's death on Facebook.
Duarte had joined the department in 2022 after five years with the Denver Police Department, according to his LinkedIn profile. In 2021, he received a Mothers Against Drunk Driving hero award for his work in impaired driving enforcement, according to CNN affiliate KKTV.
'He was someone who put on the uniform of service and went out to try and keep his neighbors safe,' Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who met with Duarte's parents Saturday, said at the news conference. 'He is to be commended for a life of service, albeit cut way too short from a life of service to others. We're deeply grateful to him.'
Pennsylvania lost 'a hero,' Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge President Joseph Regan and York County Lodge #73 President Trent Bushman said in a statement.
'Officer Duarte's bravery and commitment to upholding the law are a testament to the selflessness shown daily by those who have dedicated themselves to protecting and serving,' the statement read.
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