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Gunman Kills 1, Wounds 6 In Bronx Hospital, Dies Of Apparent Self-Inflicted Wound

Emergency personnel converge on Bronx-Lebanon Hospital in New York, after a gunman opened fire there on Friday.
Joseph Frederick
/
AP
Emergency personnel converge on Bronx-Lebanon Hospital in New York, after a gunman opened fire there on Friday.

Updated at 8 p.m. ET

A gunman opened fire at a New York City area hospital on Friday, killing one person and injuring six others before killing himself, according New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill.

In a brief news conference, O'Neill said the shooter was a former employee of the hospital but did not identify him. A law enforcement source tells NPR that the man was Dr. Henry Bello.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the attack apparently stemmed from a workplace-related matter but didn't elaborate.

The gunfire reportedly broke out at about 2:50 p.m. ET at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center. O'Neill said police received a 911 call about a shooter on the 16th floor of the hospital. The victims were found on the 16th and 17th floors.

The shooter was found on the 17th floor with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, wearing a white medical lab coat. A rifle was found nearby. The hospital fire alarm system had been activated, O'Neill said, after the gunman attempted to set himself on fire.

A female victim was found dead nearby on the 17th floor. Five other people were injured on the 16th floor and were in serious condition. Another victim was being treated for a gunshot wound to the leg.

This is a breaking news story. As often happens in situations like these, some information reported earlier may turn out to be inaccurate. We'll move quickly to correct the record, and we'll only point to the best information we have at the time.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.
Richard Gonzales is NPR's National Desk Correspondent based in San Francisco. Along with covering the daily news of region, Gonzales' reporting has included medical marijuana, gay marriage, drive-by shootings, Jerry Brown, Willie Brown, the U.S. Ninth Circuit, the California State Supreme Court and any other legal, political, or social development occurring in Northern California relevant to the rest of the country.