Pennsylvania Hospital Shooting Highlights Rising Violence Against Healthcare Workers

Image credits: AP Photo/Mark Scolforo

A man armed with a pistol and carrying zip ties entered a Pennsylvania hospital’s intensive care unit on Saturday and took staff members hostage before he was killed by police in a shootout that also left an officer dead, authorities said. The incident occurred at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York, Pennsylvania, and has raised concerns about the rising violence against healthcare workers in the US. Three staffers at the hospital, including a doctor, a nurse, and a custodian, and two other officers were shot and wounded in the attack, York County District Attorney Tim Barker said. A fourth staff member was injured during a fall.

The gunman, identified as Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, 49, was killed in the shootout, and the officer who died was identified as Andrew Duarte of the West York Borough Police Department. The incident is part of a wave of gun violence that has swept through US hospitals and medical centers in recent years, with healthcare workers facing a growing threat of violence on the job. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare and social assistance employees suffered almost three-quarters of nonfatal attacks on workers in the private sector in 2021 and 2022, with a rate more than five times the national average. The violence against healthcare workers is often targeted, with shooters seeking to harm specific individuals or groups, and can be motivated by a range of factors, including resentment over medical care or perceived injustices.

The incident at UPMC Memorial Hospital is not an isolated event, with several other recent attacks on healthcare workers in the US. In 2023, a gunman killed a security guard and wounded a hospital worker in a Portland, Oregon, hospital’s maternity unit, and in 2022, a gunman killed his surgeon and three other people at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, medical office. The rising violence against healthcare workers has led to increased calls for improved security measures, including the use of metal detectors and screening visitors for threats at hospital entrances. Hospital security consultant Dick Sem said that training can be critical in helping medical staff identify those who might become violent, and that early warning signs, such as threatening or angry behavior, should be reported and managed.

The incident has also highlighted the need for greater support and resources for healthcare workers who are affected by violence on the job. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said that state and local leaders will work with affected healthcare workers to ensure they have the resources to heal, and that the trauma caused by the incident will not be forgotten. The trauma experienced by healthcare workers can be significant, and can have long-lasting effects on their mental and emotional well-being. The security measures in place at hospitals and medical centers will need to be re-evaluated in light of the growing threat of violence, and healthcare workers will need to be provided with the support and resources they need to stay safe on the job.

In the aftermath of the incident, there have been several reactions from stakeholders, including: * Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who described the attack as "the act of a coward" and praised the bravery and selflessness of the healthcare workers and law enforcement officers involved. * York County District Attorney Tim Barker, who said that the officers were justified in using deadly force to stop the gunman. * Hospital security consultant Dick Sem, who emphasized the need for improved security measures and training to help medical staff identify potential threats. * The Fraternal Order of Police, which praised the bravery and commitment of the law enforcement officers involved in the incident. * Statistical data, including: + 37 mass shootings in the first two months of 2025, according to the Gun Violence Archive. + 31 officers shot in the line of duty in the first month of 2025, including two who were killed, according to the National Fraternal Order of Police. + 40 million Americans living within 1 mile of a mass shooting in the last decade, according to the American Hospital Association. The incident at UPMC Memorial Hospital is a tragic reminder of the growing threat of violence against healthcare workers in the US, and highlights the need for improved security measures, increased support and resources for affected workers, and a greater understanding of the factors that contribute to this violence.