Suicidal gunman keeps hospital on edge

For hours the man with the gun to his chin trapped workers inside Community Hospital.

By MOLLY MOORHEAD, Times Staff Writer
Published December 29, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - A suicide attempt held Community Hospital in a partial lockdown mode for almost 10 hours overnight Thursday.

The incident began when a Pasco sheriff's deputy saw a man in the parking lot talking on a cell phone with a handgun pressed to his chin about7:30 p.m.

Law enforcement was searching the area after a county 911 dispatcher received a call from someone threatening suicide.

More deputies and New Port Richey officers arrived and set up a perimeter around the man. New Port Richey Assistant Chief Darryl Garman said Marine Parkway wasclosed down.

The major shift change of nurses and other clinical staff in Community Hospital had already happened, but visiting hours ended as the standoff was unfolding, hospital spokeswoman Mary Sommise said.

About 60 visitors remained inside. Sommise said hospital staff gave them pillowsand blankets.

Another, smaller shift change in a few departments including behavioral health and imaging was scheduled for 11 p.m. Those employees were caught in the lockdown.

But care of the hospital's 170 in-patients was not disrupted, Sommise said. The staff is trained in how to handle lockdowns and extra patient loads.

"I think that we were very well-prepared," she said.

Outside, officers negotiated with the suicidal man for several hours. As the night wore on, they escorted some people from inside the hospital out a back entrance on High Street, Garman said.

Officers used tear gas and were set to fire nonlethal bean bag rounds at the man when he shot himself in the head.

He was flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, where he remained in critical condition later Friday. His name was not released.

Molly Moorhead can be reached at moorhead@sptimes.com or 727 869-6245.

[Last modified December 28, 2007, 21:21:48]