A 76-year-old veteran who had been a patient at Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Long Island committed suicide in the hospital's parking lot Sunday, according to The New York Times.
Peter A. Kaisen shot himself in the hospital's parking lot at around 12:30 pm after reportedly being denied services in the hospital's emergency department.
Two sources connected to the hospital who spoke to NYT on the condition of anonymity said Mr. Kaisen requested to see an emergency room physician for reasons related to his mental health. After being denied service, Mr. Kaisen reportedly went to his car and shot himself.
However, Christopher Goodman, a spokesperson for the hospital, told NYT there "was no indication that he presented to the ER prior to the incident."
The FBI has launched an investigation into Mr. Kaisen's death because it occurred on federal property. New York Reps. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) and Peter King (R-Seaford) sent a letter to FBI Director James Comey and VA Secretary Robert McDonald demanding an "expeditious and transparent" investigation of Mr. Kaisen's death, according to Newsday.
Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center has been under scrutiny since May, when NYT reported the hospital's five operating rooms had been closed since February after sand-size black particles began falling from air ducts.
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