Shooter kills security guard before shooting him at New Hampshire psychiatric hospital

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A shooter killed a security guard in the lobby of a state psychiatric hospital in New Hampshire on Friday before a state trooper shot him to death, officials said.

The shooting occurred around 3:30 p.m. at New Hampshire Hospital and was contained to the front lobby of the 185-bed facility, State Police Col. Mark Hall said at a news conference. He added that CPR was performed on the victim, who later died at Concord Hospital.

Authorities identified the victim Friday night as Bradley Haas, 63, a state Department of Safety security officer who was working at the front lobby entrance.

Authorities said all patients at the psychiatric hospital were safe, and the state trooper who killed the shooter was not injured.

“New Hampshire State Police investigators searched and cleared a suspicious box truck near the scene. They determined that the truck posed no safety risk,” the statement from the District Attorney’s Office said.

Haas lived in Franklin, a small city about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Concord. He worked as a police officer for 28 years and rose to become police chief, according to a statement from the state Attorney General’s Office.

The Franklin Police Department mourned the death of the former chief, saying he dedicated decades to the city and the police department before retiring in 2008.

“He has continued to dedicate his time to the New Hampshire community by serving as a security officer assisting and protecting those at New Hampshire State Hospital,” the police department said on its Facebook page. “The People’s Democratic Front will honor his memory by lowering our flags and wearing our insignia with mourning bands.”

No further information about the shooter, possible motive, or other details of the attack has been revealed. But authorities planned to provide an update on the investigation Saturday morning.

The shooting was on Friday The latest violence In an American hospital. Medical centers across the country are struggling to adapt to growing threats, which has helped make health care one of the most violent areas in the country.

This came weeks after 18 people were killed and 13 others were injured Mass shooting in neighboring Maine.

The hospital remained operational but was closed to visitors on Friday evening.

The facility is the only state-run psychiatric hospital for adults in New Hampshire. Located in D.C., it is part of a large government office complex that includes several state agencies and is located near the city’s high school and district court. The Safety Department provides security for the hospital.

US Democratic Representative Annie Koster described the shooting incident as “horrific.”

“Thank you to the state police officers who responded to the scene so quickly,” Koster said in a statement. “My thoughts are with the victim, his family and the Concord community.”

Other members of the state’s congressional delegation also issued statements of support.

___

Associated Press reporter Holly Ramer contributed from Concord, New Hampshire. Journalists Patrick Whittle and David Sharp contributed from Portland, Maine.