A Chicago police officer was killed and another critically wounded after a robbery suspect seized a weapon and opened fire inside Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital on Saturday morning, authorities said.
The shooting began around 11 a.m. At the hospital in the Ravenswood neighborhood, where the suspect had been taken for treatment following his arrest on robbery charges, according to Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling. Though the individual had been scanned for weapons upon arrival and remained under constant police escort, he managed to discharge a firearm as officers were moving him through the facility.
One officer, a 38-year-old veteran with a decade of service assigned to the Albany Park (17th) District, was shot in the head and died at the scene. The second officer, a 57-year-old with over 20 years on the force, remains in critical condition after being struck by gunfire.
The suspect fled the hospital building but was apprehended shortly afterward and is now in custody. A weapon was recovered at the time of his arrest, though investigators have not disclosed how he obtained it despite being wand-screened and escorted at all times.
Endeavor Health confirmed that no staff or patients were injured during the incident and the hospital campus remained on lockdown into the afternoon as law enforcement secured the scene and gathered evidence.
At a news conference held outside Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where both officers were transported, Mayor Brandon Johnson described the event as a “real difficult moment for our city,” emphasizing the need to ensure police have adequate resources to perform their duties safely.
Around 4:30 p.m., dozens of officers stood in solemn formation outside the hospital as the fallen officer’s body, draped in the Chicago flag, was loaded into an ambulance. In unison, they repeated Snelling’s words: “He will never be forgotten.”
What charges will the suspect face?
As of Saturday evening, no charges had been announced against the suspect, and authorities said the investigation remains ongoing.
Were any hospital workers or patients harmed?
Endeavor Health stated that no staff or patients were physically injured during the shooting, though the hospital campus was locked down for several hours.
