A man on parole, who was granted permission to be at the hospital to witness the birth of his baby, fatally shot two hospital employees in a Dallas medical center, and was charged with first-degree murder.
Nestor Oswaldo Hernandez, 30, had been permitted to be with the mother of his new baby at the Methodist Dallas Medical Center, where she was expected to deliver on Saturday.
Amanda Hernandez, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice Spokesperson, said Nestor Hernandez had served a prison sentence for aggravated robbery. He was released on October 20, 2021, on parole under electronic monitoring.
Authorities said Hernandez opened fire at the medical facility on Saturday at around 11 am, killing two of the hospital’s staff members before being stopped by one of the hospital’s security officers, who shot and injured him.
The two victims were not identified.
Hernandez was taken to another hospital for treatment after the shooting, which, according to authorities, happened near the hospital’s labor and delivery unit.
According to an arrest warrant that was reported by Dallas media station WFAA, Hernandez became agitated in his girlfriend’s hospital room and accused her of cheating on him. He searched the hospital room to see if there was a man hiding there. He then pulled out a gun and hit his girlfriend with it and threatened her. He texted and called family members, telling them he was going to kill himself and his girlfriend. He also said he would kill anyone who came into the room.
He fatally shot the first victim who entered the hospital room. The second victim and a security officer at the hospital in the hallway heard the gunfire and entered the hospital room. The second victim was then fatally shot by Hernandez. The hospital security officer was able to shoot Hernandez in the leg and incapacitate him.
The Methodist Dallas Medical Center issued a statement saying they were heartbroken by the loss of two of their staff members, and that the entire organization was grieving the unbelievable tragedy.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia condemned the justice system for allowing the ex-con to walk the streets and obtain a firearm. In his statement, Chief Garcia said he was outraged at the lack of accountability and that the broken justice system gives convicted felons more chances than victims.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Nurses Association, Dr. Teresa Bumpus, said that no one, and especially healthcare workers, who are committed to bringing healing to people, should go to work fearing for their lives. She urged legislators to do more to protect the lives of healthcare workers.
Dr. Bumpus released statistics from the US Labor Statistics Bureau showing that workplace violence has increased since the pandemic began and that nurses were three times more at risk than all other professionals.
Hospital shootings have increased this year, and in September, a hospital visitor was killed in a hospital shooting in Little Rock, Arkansas.
In June, a gunman opened fire in a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, killing four people, including two doctors, a staff member, and a patient. The gunman then killed himself.
