YORK, Pa. — A man armed with a handgun and zip ties took staff members hostage in the intensive care unit of a Pennsylvania hospital on Saturday, leading to a dramatic confrontation with police that resulted in the shooter being killed and an officer also losing his life, according to law enforcement officials.
During the incident at UPMC Memorial Hospital, three employees—including a doctor, a nurse, and a custodian—were shot and injured, alongside injuries sustained by two police officers. The York County District Attorney, Tim Barker, provided further details regarding the situation, revealing that a staff member was being held at gunpoint by the assailant, 49-year-old Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, when police engaged him.
“This is a significant loss for our community,” Barker stated during a press conference following the incident. “It is evident that the officers acted with justification in using deadly force against the shooter.” He noted that initial investigations suggest that Archangel-Ortiz had visited the hospital’s ICU earlier that week for medical reasons linked to another person and appeared to have deliberately targeted hospital staff.
Attempts to reach Archangel-Ortiz’s residence were unsuccessful as no one responded at the address believed to be related to him.
The police officer who died in the incident was identified as Andrew Duarte, a member of the West York Borough Police Department. “We are all heartbroken and mourning his loss,” expressed West York Borough Manager Shawn Mauck. Duarte was known as an experienced law enforcement officer who joined the West York police in 2022 after five years with the Denver Police Department. His LinkedIn profile highlighted that he received a “hero award” in 2021 for combating impaired driving in Colorado.
Duarte had served as a patrol officer in Denver, earning respect from colleagues and forming close bonds with fellow officers, according to a statement from that department.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro met with Duarte’s family and fellow wounded officers on Saturday evening, expressing gratitude for their bravery. “Their courage in facing danger undoubtedly saved lives,” he stated on social media. “I am thankful to all law enforcement who responded today in York.” At a makeshift memorial outside the West York Borough Police Department, a local resident paid tribute by leaving roses and reflecting on the loss of the young officer.
“This tragedy doesn’t make any sense,” she remarked, mourning Duarte’s untimely passing.
Governor Shapiro condemned the assault on both police and healthcare personnel, describing it as an act of cowardice.
UPMC Memorial, which has been servicing the community since its opening in 2019, is a five-story facility with a capacity of 104 beds, situated in a city known for its confectionery history.
This shooting underscores a troubling trend of violence in U.S. healthcare settings, where incidents of gun violence have surged, making health care one of the most perilous fields for workers. Reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that healthcare workers face a greater number of nonfatal injuries from workplace violence than employees in any other industry.
In recent years, there have been other notable incidents of violence within hospitals, such as a shooting in New Hampshire earlier in 2023 where a security guard was killed, and a tragic event in 2022 in Dallas that resulted in the deaths of two hospital workers.
These incidents reflect an alarming pattern in which healthcare facilities increasingly find themselves grappling with the threats posed by gun violence, a challenge that continues to escalate within the industry.
