Fatal shooting, threats at Wichita hospital raise security concerns

A 33-year-old Wichita man died Wednesday, days after he entered a Wichita emergency room, went back to his vehicle to retrieve a gun and then shot himself just outside the main entrance to the waiting area, police say.

Now hospital leaders have promised staff that they will install weapons-detection devices at the entrance to help prevent future tragedies.

The shooting happened Sunday night at Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph, shaking staff and patients who witnessed the incident or heard about it later from colleagues. It has not been previously reported.

In an internal memo to staff obtained by The Eagle, Hospital President Claudio Ferraro said Monday morning that "we recognize the deeply distressing nature of this event” and that hospital leaders were “prioritizing the mental health, security, and well-being of everyone present.” He said the leadership team was on site “to surround our ED staff with immediate support.”

A separate security incident on Wednesday has heightened fears among some staff that their buildings are not properly secured against intruders with weapons.

St. Joseph hospital went on lockdown Wednesday afternoon after police say a 15-year-old called in threats that he would shoot up the hospital. There are no weapons screening at the entrances to the hospital — no metal detectors, no pat downs, no questions.

Multiple nurses at St. Joseph told The Eagle that the incident raises concerns about emergency room security across the city. Studies show health care and social service staff experience some of the highest rates of injuries caused by workplace violence against staff.

Hospital presidents at Via Christi St. Francis and St. Joseph promised staff in a memo on Wednesday evening that, starting in August, “24-hour weapons detection devices will go live at the Emergency Department entrances of both St. Francis and St. Joseph.”

“Via Christi is hiring dedicated security officers, trained on this system and de-escalation to oversee each device,” the memo says. “These officers will work alongside the existing static personnel already stationed inside the EDs. The purpose of this new system is to stop weapons at high-traffic areas before they reach care areas.”

Bill Kueser, external communications manager for Ascension Via Christi, said in a statement that “the safety of our patients, visitors and associates is our highest priority” and the bolstered security at emergency departments is part of an ongoing security program.

“These measures build on existing safety measures, including specialized de-escalation training for our teams, expanded video surveillance, upgraded lighting and an enhanced visitor management system,” he said.

The changes come amid new peer-reviewed research published by the Journal of American Medical Association that found hospital-based shootings in the United States are on the rise over the past 25 years, especially in urban areas like Wichita. And nearly one-third of the shootings could have been prevented by weapons screening, according to the study.

“These findings underscore the need for hospital-specific prevention strategies, including consideration of weapons screening technology, alongside broader societal efforts to address rising firearm violence,” the study, titled “Hospital-Based Shootings in the US, 2000-2024: A Systematic Review,” says.