BATON ROUGE, LA - Authorities said two people were shot inside a Baton Rouge hospital early Friday morning, leaving one of the victims in critical condition.
Sources said a man and woman were shot in the incident. They said the man was shot in the head and the arm. He was taken to another hospital for surgery. He is listed in critical condition. The sources indicated the woman was shot in the shoulder and will be fine.
According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, Darrell Garner, 36, has been identified as the suspected shooter. He remains on the loose. Police said he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Officers said the shooting happened at Baton Rouge General Medical Center-Mid City on Florida Boulevard around 12:35 a.m. Garner is wanted on two counts of attempted first-degree murder.
The hospital was put on lockdown while a search for the suspect was conducted. Police also closed Florida at North Acadian Thruway to traffic. The shooting suspect was not found and the all clear was given shortly before 5 a.m.
A search was also done in Baker. It centered on a truck on Grant Street in Baker. There was a trailer with other trucks on it attached to the vehicle being examined by police. Police also questioned the suspect's family.
No employees or patients were injured during the shooting, and normal shift operations have since resumed.
"We are deeply saddened that domestic situations have spilled over into a community hospital setting," said Bill Holman, president and CEO of Baton Rouge General Medical Center. "Hospitals should be a place for healing and wellness. It is our hope that the police will quickly apprehend the individual responsible for this and we thank the community for the outpouring of support."
Detectives said Garner has a lengthy criminal arrest record, but they did not give specifics. There was no information released about a possible motive for the shooting.
The man who was shot was taken to Baton Rouge General Medical Center-Blubonnet for surgery.
