SUFFOLK, Va. - The person who was shot in the parking lot of Sentara Obici Hospital on Monday night has died, Suffolk Police have confirmed.
A suspect has been identified and is in police custody.
The victim, a man, received emergency medical assessment and treatment from Suffolk Fire & Rescue personnel who were already on scene in the area. The victim was taken into the emergency room for treatment.
His identity will not be released until his next of kin has been notified.
A Nightingale was launched as part of standard protocol with gunshot victims; however, the victim was not transported.
Police were contacted regarding the incident around 6:29 p.m. The hospital is located in the 2800 block of Godwin Boulevard.
While police emphasized there was no active shooter situation, Sentara confirmed that hospital employees did receive an alert from the hospital saying there was a potential threat.
Reports say that the shooting took place in the parking lot outside the Emergency Department of the hospital.
The hospital and the Emergency Department were both placed on lockdown out of an abundance of caution. The lockdown has since been lifted, and the hospital is now operating as normal.
Sentara provided the following statement after the shooting:
Earlier this evening a shooting occurred outside the emergency department of Sentara Obici Hospital. The Suffolk Police Department is currently investigating the shooting. All questions regarding the shooting incident should be directed to the Suffolk Police Department.
Shortly after the shooting, an emergency text alert was sent to Sentara employees to notify them of the potential threat. Sentara Obici Hospital and the emergency department was placed on lockdown out of an abundance of caution. The lockdown has since been lifted and the hospital is now operating as normal.
People who were visiting their loved ones at the hospital said the situation was terrifying.
Bobby Scarboro was visiting his wife when the shooting happened and told News 3 reporter Margaret Kavanagh the active shooter training he underwent through his job and his military experience kicked in.
He said he barricaded himself in a hospital room and "bust the light out so nobody could see anyone in there."
Dishena Henton said they could see police lights from the window and could hear helicopters.
"It was extremely scary just not knowing," Henton described. "You're on your job, you do active duty drills and you take the precautions, but when you're actually in that situation, you have to think quick," she said, adding that they were thinking about the patients who were bedridden.
In a press conference after the incident, Sentara Obici President Coleen Santa Ana said they moved the people who were in the waiting room to safety while others went out to help the victim. She said they prepare for this kind of event and praised her staff for their quick actions.
"It's an emotional situation, especially when you have something so close to the hospital doors," Santa Ana said. "I think that they reacted very appropriately first and I think they put the patients first."
The investigation remains ongoing, and there are no further details at this time.
