ER patients rerouted at Kansas hospital after man commits suicide, officials say

Salina Regional Health Center was still taking patients but had to reroute them from the emergency room to other parts of the hospital Thursday morning after an 87-year-old man checked himself in and then shot himself while in the waiting room, officials said.

Police were called at 7:08 a.m.

“There was no threat to anybody else,” Salina police Capt. James Feldman said. “He just shot himself.”

Feldman said the man was the only person in the waiting room when he checked himself in, before producing a handgun and shooting himself.

Healthcare workers tried life-saving measures but the man was pronounced deceased just after 8 a.m., Feldman said.

The hospital posted on social media at 8:44 a.m. that it had to activate its active shooter protocols “in response to an incident in the emergency room.”

“The Emergency Room is still accepting patients, however, they will be rerouted to another area of the hospital,” the statement said.

Feldman, around 11:35 a.m., said police had cleared the scene but he didn’t know if the emergency room had reopened.

In the statement, hospital president and CEO Joel Phelps said they are saddened by the tragedy.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected and we are committed to supporting our staff and patients during this time,” he said. “We are thankful that the SRHC team and patients were unharmed.”