OMAHA, Neb. – A gunman opened fire at an Omaha hospital Wednesday morning, wounding two police officers who also shot him, authorities said.
Omaha police have not disclosed many details about the shootings at Creighton University Medical Center, including the suspect's identity. They said the gunman was in critical condition and that the two officers sustained minor wounds.
The shootings occurred inside the hospital, which is a few blocks north of the city's downtown. Police spokesman Jacob Bettin declined to say where in the building the shootings occured, but Omaha television station KETV reported that witnesses said it happened in or near the cafeteria.
Bettin said the officers shot the suspect, but he did not elaborate on the sequence of events or what may have led to the shootout. He said police were first notified about the shooting at 9:19 a.m.
Hospital employees outside the center declined to answer questions from The Associated Press.
Investigators were looking into whether the gunman may have been involved in another incident with police hours earlier in suburban Ralston, Bettin said. He did not elaborate.
Officers in nearby La Vista chased a man wanted because of a domestic dispute but gave up the chase when it reached dangerous speeds, television station WOWT reported. Shortly after 12:30 a.m., the man's vehicle crashed in Ralston and he fled the scene, the station reported.
After the shootings, police and security officers stood outside the hospital and stopped those leaving the hospital to check whether they had already spoken with investigators inside.
Patients with appointments were allowed in.
Bettin said the hospital remained in partial lockdown to protect the crime scene and evidence.
Creighton University Medical Center, which has 334 beds, is one of two trauma centers in Omaha. It has a network of nearly 300 physicians who practice in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
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Associated Press writers Josh Funk and Nelson Lampe contributed to this report.
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Online:
Creighton University Medical Center: http://www.creightonhospital.com
Omaha Police: http://www.opd.ci.omaha.ne.us