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Doctor shot at Brigham and Women's; suspect found dead
By adamg on Tue, 01/20/2015 - 11:13am
Update, 10:55 p.m. Davidson has died
Update, 8:30 p.m. WBZ identifies the doctor as Michael Davidson, a cardiac surgeon from Wellesley.
Update, 5:30 p.m: WCVB identifies the shooter as Stephen Pasceri of Millbury, whose mother had been a patient of the doctor before her death in November. Pasceri leaves his wife and four children.
Updated, 1:25 p.m.
A man walked into a Brigham and Women's Shapiro Cardiovascular Center on Francis Street around 11 a.m., shot a doctor twice, then himself.
The doctor was rushed to the hospital ER with life-threatening injuries; the suspect was found by police, dead, Police Commissioner William Evans said.
Evans said the suspect - unnamed because his next of kin have yet to be notified - was not a doctor and did not appear to be a patient. Police are looking to why he chose the particular doctor to ask for on the second floor or the building, get into an altercation with him and then shoot him, he said.
"He was targeted and the reason right now is not clear," Evans said, adding there had to be "something in the past that upset this guy that caused him to come in and look for this doctor."
Evans said the shooting occurred in a vestibule between a waiting room and exam rooms.
As police rushed to the scene, the hospital went into lockdown mode: Staffers and patients were ordered to stay in place and lock their doors. The hospital's front doors were locked and local ambulance services were told to take patients elsewhere.
Francis Street was blocked off. Green Line service on Huntington Avenue was stopped. Boston Latin School, a couple blocks away, was briefly put in "safe" mode as a precaution.
Police began lifting the restrictions around 11:20 a.m., after discovering both the suspect's body and the gun he apparently used.
Dr. Ron Walls, Brigham and Women's COO, said the hospital had been training for this sort of "active shooter" incident.
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Comments
Yikes!
Hope everyone is okay....
ETA: Bringing the homicide unit in does not sound like everyone is OK. Thoughts and prayers to all.
Incidentally, I love how BDC's page leads with the latest twist in Deflategate.
UH better than BWH at breaking news
Thanks for the heads up... I work at BWH, and found this out from you first. Thank god for UH
UH By 10 Mins
Now BDC has something up, but UHub beat them by 10 minutes.
Robo calls
BWH does have robo calls (and matching email) for such events. I'm told that it went out at 11:18.
the time stamp on mine is 11
the time stamp on mine is 11:21 fwiw. Second one came out at 11:27 telling us a suspect is in custody
Robocall/email
Got my robocall (actually text message) at 11:19, and internal broadcast email at 11:25. Everyone in my office has been avidly following UHub's twitter feed.
One of my 6 coworkers got a
One of my 6 coworkers got a friend's concerned text, and then we Googled it, and then another one of us got the robo-text about 5 minutes later.
DFCI
I work next door at DFCI and did not get an alert from my workplace until 11:53 am. Thanks UHub for keeping us safe.
Hoping desperately
that people are OK. My doctor is there're and another friend works there--I was there on Friday. When will this craziness end?
Never...
People have been killing other people and and doing crazy shit for thousands of years.
Well, at least they didn't
Well, at least they didn't say "things have never been crazier" while we, despite all this crazy shit, live in the safest time to ever be a human being. Hell, 40 years ago you could get killed by secondhand smoke inside the hospital, and couldn't walk alone at night outside in Mission Hill.
That said, this sort of thing is pretty damn scary. I can't imagine why a patient would ever kill a caregiver.
Yes, I understand that
crime has gone down, blah blah blah, and that yes--there has always been crime and random violence, but can you understand the feeling that more crazy random shootings are happening in places that we don't expect them--shopping malls, hair salons, hospitals? And yes, peg my overreaction to the fact that two people I care about are in that building. It's unnerving to say the least.
Doctors get shot and more
Doctors get shot and more frequently stabbed by crazy patients all the time. The most recent major incident was at MGH only a few years ago.
Drug addiction and the de-institutionalization of potentially violent crazy people has put higher risk individuals out and about in public in a manner which was not common 40+ years ago.
First off, that sucks that
First off, that sucks that you know people in the building. I wasn't making light of this nor saying you couldn't feel emotion about it. I was just saying despite these "crazy random" locations, we are still far less likely to be killed when we step outside the house than we were 40 years ago, when we were 250% more likely to be killed in a car accident, more likely to be murdered, and so on.
I'm not sure how I feel about where they are happening. That innocents are being killed is unnerving regardless the location, motive, whatever. All I was saying is despite this, we are still a lot safer in our daily lives.
"Blah blah blah"?
No need to be rude. And it's a fact: we live in the safest era in history. Yes, we all hope your friends are safe.
Update
Cardiac surgeon shot by male patient -- life threatening injuries. Shooter then went to a restroom and killed himself:
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/01/20/police-respond-to-possible-shootin...
Hope Doctor is OK
...but really insulting, that police and media respond to a doctor being shot, while on a daily basis, nurses and MHWs at DMH Facilities are beaten, assaulted, with life threatening attacks by patients and visitors sneaking in weapons, and NOTHING IS SAID OR DONE ABOUT IT. DMH Staff receive less respect and support than MBTA Bus Drivers.
So say something about it, or do something about it
...but do it somewhere else where it might be considered relevant.
It is possible to care about the lives and well-being of more than one person at once.
Your claims strain the bounds
Your claims strain the bounds of credulity. Please produce some evidence -- any -- that "on a daily basis, nurses and MHWs at DMH Facilities are beaten, assaulted, with life threatening attacks by patients and visitors sneaking in weapons, and NOTHING IS SAID OR DONE ABOUT IT".
As an alternative, you can admit that you got carried away and exaggerated wildly. Or you can just 'fess up to being a liar.
A family member works in
A family member works in healthcare and yes, patients do take their aggression out on the staff. When was the last time you had to control someone high on God knows what? How about the junkies that come in with needles still in their arms, uncontrollable. All the while hoping they just don't pull it out and jab you.
Bodily fluids? Does that count as assault for someone who is knowingly HIV postive, Hep B, etc... spit at you? How about when they are supposed to bring in samples of blood, mucous, and other lovely fluids but they've managed to remove all the safety precautions (that happened to me with a TB patient).
Better yet, you should hear about the spouses/partners of the patients!
I think you're confused with life in a cube farm.
No, Patricia, YOU'RE confused
No, Patricia, YOU'RE confused. Very. Go read what I responded to, then come back and say if you agree with it. No one is denying that caregivers deal with violence. The absurdity is in the claim that life-threatening violence is dished out on a daily basis and no one ever does anything about it. Please get your facts straight before you jump.
".but really insulting, that
".but really insulting, that police and media respond to a doctor being shot"
I too am insulted the police respond to shootings.
Were it a shooting
Or even a stabbing, yes, the media would report this.
I would imagine things just as bad or worse than what happens at DMH facilities happen at our MCI facilities. Correction officers must also receive less respect and support than MBTA bus drivers.
2 hours
Still no word on if anyone died as a result of being diverted away from the ER during the lockdown.
There are several other ERs nearby.
Can't imagine that this was a real problem.
This ninny is grinding an axe
This ninny is grinding an axe. Ignore him.
1st world problem
In that area, being diverted from one world-class hospital to another world-class hospital around the corner is not the biggest concern.
Kaz's Herald worthy comment
I can not believe that a normally intelligent person such as yourself would use this opportunity to further pursue your idiotic argument from the I-93 blockade. There is all the difference in the world between a planned blockade of the roadway that puts people's lives at risk, and a act of violence that was not planned (except possibly by the perpetrator). I looked at the link provided earlier in the UHUB comments linking to WCBV (?) and I strayed into the comment section and was disgusted by the twisted mindset that allowed the commenters to use this event to promote their anti-Obama, anti gun control agenda. Was not expecting that here on UHUB.
Prove it
There's a difference?
You said the blockade:
* Put people's lives at risk
* Was planned by the perpetrators
This act of violence:
* Put people's lives at risk
* Was planned by its perpetrator
0 for 2.
Both are examples of Selfish Self Centered people
I agree Kaz, there is very little difference. It's sad but true to see that some people will justify their actions against others as valid for whatever reason is going on in their head.
Both the killer and the occupy wall street protesters should be held accountable for their actions. While there are real differences between these two examples there are enough similarities to suggest that innocent persons are due restitution of some kind.
Clearly...very little difference at all
between Occupy protesters and...a suicidal guy who walked into a hospital and shot a cardiac surgeon? Yeah. Kind of hard to even tell them apart. Jesus H. Christ...can we even try for a little bit of common sense or perspective, please?
At least some people are more upset about the cardiac surgeon
At least some people who comment on Universal Hub are more upset about the cardiac surgeon murderer taking an innocent life than about 28 non-violent protestors standing up for civil rights.
I hate...
...to get involed in this totally off topic discussion, but this statement is way off: "...28 non-violent protestors standing up for civil rights". They were 28 misguided people who think that they way to get their point across is to piss off everyone and act like brats while putting peoples' lives and occupations at risk. Yeah, people lost their jobs because of the moronic "protesters". I heard from a friend about a freelance photographer that they know who was fired from a job because they were late. So to these "prostesters", black lives matter, but peoples' jobs do not.
please folks
can we NOT go down this rat hole of a conversation again? It's no win for anyone.
Just stop, please.
I know, I know!
i mostly avoided the last one but sometimes I just can't help it.
The Allied Invasion of Normandy
also put lives at risk and was planned by the perpetrators, so...same thing, right? Apollo Moon landing...lives at risk, planned by perpetrators...same thing, obv.
No, actually--none of these things have anything in common. Please get some perspective.
There is a common element
Humans.
Don't get me started...
ER Diversion
ER diversions happen ALL the time, at least weekly, as hospitals get so full of patients at times that there is no more room, or staff, to care for an incoming ER patient. Yes Trauma rooms are put aside for Emergency but sometimes they get used too. The hospitals and ambulances have a diversion protocol, it's not a big deal.
Okay
I think we are all ready to blame the shooter for this.
Happy?
Troll comment from Kaz. When
Troll comment from Kaz. When cam we get a fown vote option? Disgusting and disrespectful.
Hope the surgeon pulls through. How scary for everyone who works at the hospital, is a patient or a family member or loved one of either.
Horrifying!!
I was just at BIDMC from 11-12. Oblivious.
It's incredibly disturbing that this occurred inside a place where people go for healing.
First schools, then hospitals - I guess nothing's sacred anymore.
At least if you're gonna get shot by a crazy person...
It happens at a world class hospital with a great ER!
CBSlocal
The comments on that site are really disturbing. Is this where civilization is ending up? A tragic situation and people think it's funny to make jokes because they can do it anonymously?
Putrid....
... virtually no worthwhile posts there on this story.
You must be new
You must be new to comment sections of the internet news articles. This is what people do. I wish comment sections (except for uhub) would just go away. Brings out the worst of the worst of people. Worst thing to ever happen to online news.
Edit: oy I just read the comments under CBS4's article.. wow. Just wow. Amazing how stupid people can be when they are anonymous. Every other comment is Obama this, Obama that. Nice to know he can be dragged into any conversation... *smh*
So true
I remember foolishly venturing into the comments when one of my favorite (but lesser-known) musicians died. I was looking for fellow fans to commiserate. Instead I saw all this crap like, "Never heard of the f**kin loser" and "His music was crap."
(I really DO appreciate the generally considerate discourse here on uHub. Thanks Adam!)
agreed
as much as some commenters make my blood boil on here, all in all I do enjoy the intelligent banter we have here. Key word there is intelligent. And we have plenty of it here. Which is why I keep coming back (or I like the abuse)
I'll take a debate with a Uhubber over some idiot from the herald comments section any day.
6 years ago it was INSERT
6 years ago it was INSERT GRIPE HERE is Bush's Fault! In another 2 it will be INSERT PRESIDENT NAME HERE's fault.
No it wasn't
Not on the Herald and sites like it. Six years ago, it was [X is CLINTON'S FAULT] (side note: You knew Letterman had reached the dosen't-give-a-rats-ass stage of his career when he continued to do Clinton jokes even as Bush was getting ready to leave office).
People better
stop shooting medical providers or there won't be anyone around to put people back together after they get shot. I hope he recovers.
PRAYING RIGHT?
Everyone is praying for the doc to pull through, that's the focus correct?
Surgeon pronounced
Brigham and Women's surgeon succumbs to gunshot injuries; was 44.
Doctor-Patient relationships at Brigham and Women's Hospital
There's a lot of dissatisfaction with doctor-patient relationships at Brigham and Women's Hospital swept away through delay without resolving concerns. BWH uses an institutional risk aversion management approach that's too often one sided.
No, Don. Just no.
Wrong time, my friend.
Feel free to change your post to something that is not insensitive to the fact that the son of a former patient killed a doctor.