A hostage crisis unfolded in the intensive care unit of UPMC Memorial Hospital in York, Pennsylvania on Saturday, February 22, 2025. The armed instigator and a police officer both lost their lives in the fatal exchange of gunfire that concluded the encounter.
The offender, Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, 49, was discovered by police, restraining a female staff member with zip ties at gunpoint. West York Borough Police Officer Andrew Duarte was killed during the ensuing face-off. Additionally, five individuals including a doctor, a nurse, a custodian, and two police officers were injured during the attack. Another hospital employee was harmed in a fall.
According to Tim Barker, York County District Attorney, Archangel-Ortiz had been at the ICU earlier in the week for “a medical purpose involving another individual.” He appeared to have intentionally targeted the hospital workers. Sources suggest Archangel-Ortiz was aggrieved about the perceived insufficient care for a family member who had recently passed away in the hospital’s ICU.
“This is a huge loss to our community,” Barker said in a post-shooting press conference. “After reviewing surveillance footage and witness statements, it is absolutely clear and beyond any doubt that the officers acted lawfully in using deadly force.”
Authorities report that Archangel-Ortiz entered the hospital in the morning with a semi-automatic handgun and zip ties. He came out from the ICU holding a hospital staff member hostage as police arrived, which led the officers to open fire.
The deceased officer, Duarte, was a seasoned law enforcement officer. He joined the West York Borough Police Department in June 2022 after serving five years with the Denver Police Department. Prior to that, he was with the Ocean City Police Department.
Duarte, who had just turned 30 in February, had been recognized multiple times throughout his career. In 2021, Mothers Against Drunk Driving honored him with a “hero award” for his work in impaired driving enforcement in Colorado. He also received the Top Student Award for outstanding academic performance upon completing the Drug Recognition Expert program.
In his LinkedIn profile, Duarte described his personality type as ‘A’ and expressed his desire to succeed in all he undertook.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro met with Duarte’s parents and the wounded officers on Saturday evening. “Their willingness to run toward danger helped save the lives of others,” said Shapiro on the social platform X, expressing his gratitude to law enforcement.
Flags were flown at half-staff by order of the governor in honor of Duarte, and a procession was held for the fallen officer.
Nancy Duarte Matarese, Duarte’s mother, referred to her son as a “mighty warrior” with a “warrior heart and a warrior spirit,” thanking the community for their support during this challenging time.
Condolences were also offered by the Denver Police Department and Duarte’s alma mater, PennWest California. The West York community organized events to honor Duarte’s memory, including a memorial at the Borough administrative office.
UPMC Memorial, a 104-bed hospital spread across five floors, started operating in 2019 in York, a city with an approximate population of 40,000. Employees not scheduled to work on Saturday were asked to stay home, and visitors were instructed to use a parking lot across from the hospital, according to Susan Manko, UPMC’s Vice President of Public Relations.
The investigation involved a collaborative effort from state and local law enforcement, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), as per authorities.
Hospital staff member Lester Mendoza reported that he had interacted with Archangel-Ortiz prior to the incident, delivering the “worst news imaginable” about the death of a loved one. This news reportedly devastated Archangel-Ortiz.
Although no patients were injured during the shooting, the incident has raised serious safety concerns about public spaces, with residents questioning if even hospitals can be considered safe.
Incidents such as the one at UPMC Memorial are part of a rising trend of violence in healthcare settings across the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that healthcare has become one of the nation’s most violent fields, with workers suffering more nonfatal injuries from workplace violence than any other profession.
In 2023, a shooter killed a security guard in the lobby of New Hampshire’s state psychiatric hospital before a state trooper shot and killed him. In 2022, a man shot two employees fatally at a Dallas hospital while there for his child’s birth. In May, 2022, another man fired shots in a medical center waiting room in Atlanta, killing one woman and injuring four others. A month later, a gunman in Tulsa, Oklahoma, killed his surgeon and three others at a medical office, blaming the doctor for ongoing pain after a surgery.
In response to these escalating threats, hospitals across the nation are enhancing security measures, including metal detectors and visitor screenings. However, experts emphasize the importance of early identification of potentially violent individuals to prevent such incidents.
The investigation into the shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital is still ongoing. Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage and taking statements to establish the precise circumstances surrounding the incident.
