Details are still emerging after an elderly married couple was killed inside an Ontario hospital.
Special Investigations Unit (SIU) spokesperson Jason Gennaro says police were initially called to the Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg for reported gunshots around 11 p.m. on Friday.
The reported gunshots came from a triage room where the elderly couple was lying side by side on gurneys after being admitted to the emergency room for unspecified ailments, reports Global News.
Two officers discharged their firearms after an interaction with the 70-year-old man in the triage room. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police also found the 76-year-old woman suffering from a head wound in the same room. She later succumbed to her injuries despite efforts to revive her.
Although there was speculation that the woman was shot by her husband, police will not confirm if the man had a weapon. “That is something that our investigation is looking to determine,” says Gennaro.
The woman’s death is being investigated by Ontario Provincial Police while her husband’s death is being investigated by SIU. SIU says eight investigators, including two forensic investigators, have been assigned to the case.
Loud Bang Heard from Adjoining Room
Grace Andrews, 27, was receiving treatment in an adjoining room when she heard a loud bang.
“We thought a table had flipped,” says Andrews. “It didn’t seem like a gunshot but it was loud.”
Andrews’ boyfriend, Kelly Palmateer, says a nurse went into the room following the bang and came out stating, “Oh my God, call 911.”
The couple then barricaded themselves in their room after hearing gunshots which they mistook for automatic weapons, according to CBC News.
“There’s nothing like being stuck in a room and not knowing what’s going on around you and just waiting,” says Andrews.
Andrews praised the staff’s response to the incident, describing their actions as “calm and efficient”.
The hospital’s employee assistance program was brought in overnight to counsel staff members, according to hospital president and CEO Linda Davis. The hospital plans to review the incident to determine whether anything could have been done differently.
Incoming patients were diverted to nearby hospitals for several hours following the incident. The hospital returned to regular operations around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
