Shooter kills security guard before being fatally shot at New Hampshire psychiatric hospital – Winnipeg Free Press

CONCORD, NH (AP) — A shooter killed a security guard in the lobby of the New Hampshire State Psychiatric Hospital on Friday before being shot to death by a state trooper, authorities said.

The shooting occurred around 3:30 p.m. at New Hampshire Hospital and occurred in the front lobby of the 185-bed facility, state police Col. Mark Hall said at a news conference. He said CPR was performed on the victim, who later died at Concord Hospital.

Authorities identified the victim Friday night as Bradley Haas, 63, a security officer with the state Department of Safety and Security who was working at the main lobby entrance.

All patients at the psychiatric hospital were safe and the state trooper who killed the shooter was not injured, according to authorities.

“New Hampshire State Police investigators searched and cleared a suspicious truck near the scene. “They determined that the truck does not pose any safety risk,” the statement from the Attorney General’s Office said.

Haas lived in Franklin, a small town about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Concord. He worked as a police officer for 28 years and rose to become police chief, according to a statement from the state attorney general’s office.

The Franklin Police Department mourned the former chief’s death and said he dedicated decades to the city and the police department before retiring in 2008.

“He continued to dedicate his time to the NH community serving as a security officer assisting and protecting those at the NH State Hospital,” the police department said on its Facebook page. “The FPD will honor his memory by flying our flags at half-mast and wearing mourning bands on our insignia.”

No further information was released about the shooter, a possible motive or other details of the attack. But authorities planned to provide an update on the investigation Saturday morning.

Friday’s shooting was the latest act of violence at an American hospital. Medical centers across the country have struggled to adapt to growing threats, helping to make healthcare one of the most violent fields in the country.

It came weeks after 18 people were killed and 13 others were injured in a mass shooting in neighboring Maine.

The hospital was still operating but was closed to visitors on Friday night.

The facility is the only state-run adult psychiatric hospital in New Hampshire. Located in the capital city, it is part of a large state office park that includes multiple state agencies and is close to the city’s high school and district court. The Security Department provides security to the hospital.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster called the shooting “horrifying.”

“Thank you to the state police officers who responded to the scene so quickly,” Kuster said in a statement. “My thoughts are with the victim, her family and the Concord community.”

Other members of the state’s congressional delegation also issued statements of support.

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AP reporter Holly Ramer contributed from Concord, New Hampshire. Reporters Patrick Whittle and David Sharp contributed from Portland, Maine.