Questions remain after man uses gun inside Memphis hospital to shoot, kill himself

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - A shooting inside a Memphis hospital led the WMC Action News 5 Investigators to ask questions about safety protocol.

The shooting actually happened in late March, but we started asking questions after tips came into our newsroom.

According to a Memphis police report, the shooting happened March 26 inside Methodist North Hospital a little after 5:30 a.m.

A Memphis investigator wrote in the report while a nurse was in the patient’s room with her back to the man. She heard a pop, then saw the victim had shot himself with a handgun that was hidden under the sheets of his bed.

The report says a 70-year-old man was pronounced dead. It’s unclear how the patient was able to bring a loaded weapon into the hospital unnoticed at this time.

Due to patient privacy laws the hospital could only release limited details but could confirm the incident.

A statement from a Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare spokesperson reads in part:

“We want to emphasize that this was an isolated situation and we are confident there is no risk to the safety of our patients and families. At all times, the safety of our team and that of our patients and families is our top priority.”

We asked the Memphis Police Department for the number of gun-related incidents that have occurred inside Memphis hospitals.

We are still waiting on the results from our open records request.

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