Nurse shoots and kills herself while on duty in hospital ER

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

An investigation is underway in California after a nurse reportedly took her own life while at work in the emergency department of a hospital, police have said.

Santa Clara police said it responded to a call of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the Kaiser’s Santa Clara Medical Center in Santa Clara at around 7.30pm on Wednesday, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.

A woman nurse, who has not been identified, was found to have died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to NBC Bay Area, she was halfway through her shift at the hospital when the incident occurred.

Officers did not lock down the hospital, reports said, with the shooting happening in an isolated room near the emergency department, Assistant Police Chief Wahid Kazem said on Friday.

No other staff or patients were threatened and hospital treatments continued on Wednesday night following the incident, Mr Kazem added.

Ambulances were however diverted to nearby hospitals temporarily, and walk-in patients were still accepted during the initial police response.

“Our hearts go out to the family, friends and coworkers affected by this terrible loss,” said Dr Rakesh Chaudhary, physician in chief at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center, in a statement.

“Our teams are on site providing emotional support and resources for staff,” he continued. “We are grateful to our employees and physicians who responded immediately and for the compassionate outpouring of support our Santa Clara team is receiving from colleagues at Kaiser Permanente and other health care systems.”

It remains unclear what lead to the shooting. The Independent has approached the Santa Clara Police Department for comment.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.