Suspect in custody after 1 killed in shooting at a Wilmington, Delaware, hospital

By Danny E Freeman, CNN

(CNN) — [Breaking news update, published at 9:48 p.m. ET]

A 23-year-old man has been taken into custody in Philadelphia after one person died and another was injured in a shooting at a Wilmington, Delaware, hospital, the Wilmington Police Department said Tuesday.

[Original story, published at 8:45 p.m. ET]

A manhunt is underway after one person was killed and another was injured in a shooting at a Wilmington, Delaware, hospital, the police chief said Tuesday.

The suspect in the shooting is “outstanding at this time,” Police Chief Wilfredo Campos said, and law enforcement is working to identify and locate him.

One victim died from his injuries, Campos said, and police are withholding further information about the other victim’s condition. Neither victim has been identified.

The hospital was put into a lockdown during the shooting, but it has since been lifted. Police said they’re still trying to review surveillance footage to determine how the suspect left the hospital after the shooting.

“It’s particularly distressing when an incident like this occurs in a hospital whose fundamental purpose is to treat injuries and save lives,” Wilmington Mayor John Carney said at a news conference Tuesday evening. “If ever there’s a place that should be a sanctuary from such violence, that is the place.”

Law enforcement responded around 3:30 p.m. to the Wilmington Hospital, located about 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia, after reports of a shooting incident, according to the Wilmington Police Department.

Several agencies, including the FBI and Delaware State Police, rushed to the scene to assist.

“Anytime there’s any shooting incident, it’s always difficult,” David Karas, the Wilmington Police Department spokesperson, told reporters. “It’s certainly not what a community wants, and we’re going to make sure to get to the bottom of it and hold the individual responsible.”

Brian Pfeffer, a patient guide at the hospital, was working in the emergency room when he heard two loud shots, “almost like firecrackers,” ring out on the ground level, he told CNN affiliate KYW.

Pfeffer fled the emergency room and ran outside before the hospital was placed on lockdown.

It was alarming to experience a shooting in his workplace, Pfeffer said. He noted it was even more concerning that it took place inside a hospital, where people typically feel secure.

“A lot of people come here just to be safe,” Pfeffer said. “Now you have this stuff happening, so it’s scary, very scary.”

Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said the shooting hits especially close to home for his family, as his wife works at ChristianaCare, the hospital system that includes the Wilmington hospital.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Elizabeth Wolfe and Celina Tebor contributed to this report.