Police search for assailant in fatal shooting inside Delaware hospital

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — An assailant who shot two people inside a Delaware hospital Tuesday — killing one — remained at large hours later, police said.

The shooting was reported about 3:30 p.m. at Wilmington Hospital, Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos told a news conference Tuesday night. He declined to release information about the identities of the victims or the condition of the person who was shot and survived “out of respect for the families,” he said.

Investigators were working to identify and find the shooter and trying to determine how the person left the building, Campos said.

ChristianaCare, which operates the hospital, said in an emailed statement it had diverted patients from its emergency department and was “taking all appropriate steps to ensure the safety of our patients, caregivers and visitors.”

“This is an active police investigation for a possible active shooter,” the statement said.

A lockdown at the hospital had been lifted by Tuesday night.

At the news conference, Wilmington Mayor John Carney acknowledged the victims and hospital workers who hid as law enforcement went from room to room, clearing the building.

“If ever there is a place that should be a sanctuary for such violence, that is the place,” Carney said.

Violence has been a persistent problem at hospitals across the U.S.

Wilmington, which has about 71,000 residents and is Delaware’s largest city, is about 25 miles (40 km) south of Philadelphia.