ARTICLE UPDATE – 4/9/25:
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) announced security improvements have been made at its facilities following the fatal shooting of a local police officer during a hostage situation at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York.
On Feb. 22, 49-year-old Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz entered the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) carrying a bag with a handgun and zip ties. He held hospital staff members hostage and shot a doctor, a nurse, a custodian, and three police officers. Killed in the shooting was 30-year-old Andrew Duarte, a police officer with the West York Borough Police Department.
According to Local 21, a UPMC spokesperson said changes include:
- Some entrances previously open to all will now only be accessible to employees with badges. Employees are not allowed to hold doors open for non-employees at these entrances.
- People entering the hospital late in the evening or overnight will need to enter through the emergency department.
- Metal detectors will be installed in additional emergency department entrances for 24/7 security screenings.
- Some hospitals will use high-volume traffic screening systems that detect weapons.
- UPMC will implement a standardized visitor management system that requires visitors to check in at main entrances while providing identification and reasoning for the visit.
“Health care has long been built on accessibility with openness to caring and healing for all. But sadly, the world has changed,” a spokesperson said. “We are thoughtfully enhancing the safety of everyone who walks through our doors by reinforcing already existing strong security measures and deploying heightened standards across UPMC.”
ORIGINAL ARTICLE – 2/24/25:
YORK, Pa. – A mass shooting unfolded at UPMC Memorial Hospital on Saturday morning, leaving six people injured and two dead, including a police officer who responded to the scene and the gunman himself.
The suspect, identified as Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, 49, entered the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) just after 10:30 a.m. carrying a bag with a handgun and zip ties. Authorities reported that Archangel-Ortiz held hospital staff members hostage, opening fire and hitting multiple individuals, including a doctor, a nurse, a custodian, and three police officers. A hospital staff member was also injured in a fall while attempting to escape the violence.
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Police officers from 10 jurisdictions responded to the scene. When they arrived, they initially tried to de-escalate the situation. However, the standoff turned deadly when Archangel-Ortiz exited the ICU holding a gun and a hospital staff member, whose hands were zip-tied. Authorities say officers had no other choice but to open fire, killing Archangel-Ortiz.
The police officer who was killed has been identified as 30-year-old Andrew Duarte of the West York Borough Police Department, reports YDR.
No patients at the facility were harmed, officials confirmed.
Motive for UPMC Memorial Shooting: Grief and Anger Over Family Member’s Death
Archangel-Ortiz’s actions were reportedly fueled by grief and anger over what he perceived to be insufficient care provided to a family member who had been recently treated in UPMC Memorial Hospital’s ICU. The family member, who was terminally ill, passed away within the past week, a senior official stated.
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Lester Mendoza, a physician assistant at UPMC Memorial and one of the individuals who previously interacted with the gunman after the death of his loved one, shared a heartfelt reflection on social media, reports WGAL.
“I spoke with the very man who did this act … I saw his devastation firsthand,” Mendoza wrote. “I truly did not see a monster. He was simply broken.”
Mendoza emphasized the mental health challenges that often go unaddressed during times of grief and highlighted the broader stressors of healthcare providers who work with limited resources.
This shooting highlights issues surrounding mental health resources, the emotional toll of grief, and the safety of healthcare workers in high-pressure environments.
UPMC Memorial Hospital is a five-story, 104-bed facility that opened in 2019. Staff members say the facility does not have metal detectors.
