A shooting in a Virginia hospital on Dec. 22 ended with two people injured and one suspect charged, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Police said a 27-year-old man, Rasheed Pope Jr., had a firearm during the intake process at Chippenham Hospital, an HCA Healthcare facility in Richmond, Va., on Dec. 22. Police on site at the hospital for an unrelated matter were notified of the shooting at 4:11 a.m., which occurred in the hospital's ER.
Police said Mr. Pope self-presented at the hospital for a mental health evaluation and was entering a room and getting into a gown when, without warning, he began firing his weapon, according to a Dec. 22 police news conference made available from local CBS affiliate WTVR.
The shooting injured a Chesterfield County police officer and a male patient who was in the hallway, police said. Police said the officer was treated for injuries and released; the patient's injuries were considered critical but not life-threatening. Police said the shooting was not accidental, with multiple shots fired.
Police arrested Mr. Pope on the scene. He has been charged with attempted murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
A spokesperson for Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare shared the following statement with Becker's Dec. 26: "Chippenham Hospital is committed to the safety of all staff members and patients. We have a security presence on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, who took immediate action during the incident on December 22. We are incredibly proud of how our staff responded and cared for our patients. We have support on site for colleagues who are affected by last week’s event."
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated the shooting occurred in the hospital's mental health treatment pavilion; the story was updated with confirmation from HCA Healthcare that the shooting took place in the hospital's ER.