1 killed in New Hampshire hospital shooting; suspect killed by trooper, authorities say
Nov 17, 2023, 7:57 PM
Police work at the scene of a shooting at New Hampshire Hospital on Friday, Nov. 17. The suspect in a shooting at a New Hampshire psychiatric hospital is dead after one person was shot in the lobby of the facility Friday, a law enforcement source tells CNN. (Geoff Forester/The Concord Monitor/AP)
(Geoff Forester/The Concord Monitor/AP)
(CNN) — A person was fatally shot in the lobby of a New Hampshire psychiatric hospital Friday, and the suspect who police say opened fire was shot dead by a state police trooper assigned to the facility, authorities said.
The incident happened at the New Hampshire Hospital in Concord on Friday afternoon, the New Hampshire State Police said. All patients at the hospital were safe, said state police director Col. Mark Hall.
After the shooting, authorities investigated a suspicious vehicle in the hospital’s parking lot. Law enforcement officials used a tactical robot to inspect a U-Haul, videos from CNN affiliates show.
Footage shows a robot positioned next to the driver’s door of the U-Haul and the tailgate of the vehicle partially open. A law enforcement official in safety gear is seen inspecting the cargo area of the vehicle.
Authorities say they are working to identify the suspect.
The hospital is a psychiatric facility that helps treat those with “acute mental illness,” according to its website.
The head of New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services said Friday evening she was “shocked and saddened” by the shooting.
“Our hearts go out to the family of the victim as well as our colleagues who have been impacted,” Commissioner Lori Weaver said at a news conference.
Weaver said the hospital will be temporarily closed to visitors but support would be provided to patients and staff “as we work through this tragedy together.”
“This is a difficult and unimaginable day for our employees and for our community,” the commissioner added.
Officials were doing a sweep of the hospital, another law enforcement official told CNN.
Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, the state “immediately mobilized, and first responders and law enforcement are on the scene.”
“This afternoon, there was an incident at New Hampshire Hospital, which has been contained. While the scene remains active as the campus is cleared, the suspect is deceased,” Sununu said. “We will provide as many details as possible as this situation unfolds.”
CNN’s Polo Sandoval contributed to this report.
