PASADENA, Calif. — Huntington Hospital implemented a lockdown on Friday, issuing a “Code Silver” alert at 5:41 p.m. following a series of phone threats. The alert signified a potential situation involving a weapon, active shooter, or hostage scenario. Law enforcement was immediately called to the scene.
The suspect in the case, identified as Jose Jurado, 34, had reportedly been treated in the emergency room earlier the same day, reports Pasadena Now. According to Pasadena Police Lt. Matt Campeau, Jurado was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department at approximately 6:30 p.m. He was later transferred to the custody of Pasadena Police, where he was booked on suspicion of making criminal threats.
Jurado had contacted Huntington Hospital’s emergency department multiple times by phone after being released that afternoon, seeking to schedule an appointment with a specialist. Despite being informed he was calling the wrong number, Jurado allegedly made terrorist threats toward hospital staff after becoming increasingly agitated.
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The threats prompted Huntington Hospital officials to quickly lock all doors, and ambulance traffic was rerouted to other facilities as a precaution. Although employees were notified via text message that there was no need to shelter in place, the abrupt lockdown caused confusion among staff members.
The lockdown lasted just under an hour, ending around 6:30 p.m. when the hospital resumed normal operations. An “all-clear” notification was issued to employees shortly before 7:30 p.m.
Huntington Hospital Incident Follows 2 Swatting Incidents
This event follows two “swatting” incidents in Southern California last week: one at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and the other at Claremont McKenna College.
About 200 law enforcement units were dispatched to Loma Linda University Children’s hospital on Wednesday after a male suspect called a non-emergency line at the facility, claiming he was armed with an AR-15 and explosives.
On Thursday evening, Claremont McKenna College went into lockdown for three hours after receiving a call about a possible active shooter with a bomb, reports the Claremont Courier.
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Authorities have not confirmed any connection between these incidents and the situation at Huntington Hospital.
No injuries were reported during Friday’s incident, and Huntington Hospital has since resumed all standard operations.
Authorities continue to investigate Jurado’s actions leading up to the lockdown, with additional charges possible depending on the outcome of the inquiry.
