Son Accused Of Shooting, Killing 70-Year-Old Mother Inside NH's Largest Hospital
LEBANON, N.H. (CBS/AP) — A 70-year-old woman was killed by a family member Tuesday in the intensive care unity of New Hampshire's largest hospital, officials said.
Travis Frink, 49, of Rhode Island, was taken into custody Tuesday and is accused of killing his mother while she stayed at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon.
"Facts gathered to this point, reveal that the purpose of Mr. Frink's visit to the hospital today was to kill his mother," NH Attorney General Gordon MacDonald said.
He also said that multiple shots were fired.
Frink is expected to be arraigned on first-degree murder charges Wednesday in Haverhill, New Hampshire.
People were told to avoid the area, and traffic was stopped on a route leading to the hospital while the situation unfolded. Staffers were told to evacuate if possible.
No one else what injured in the ordeal, though many patients and workers alike were terrified as word spread.
It was Artheon Wolf's second day on the job.
"I was going to orientation, and they said there was a code silver. Then they told us to be behind locked doors and then there was a staging area," she said.
Bradley White also works in the hospital.
"Security going around, telling people to leave, we have a code 1000, in other words: violence in the building."
One hospital worker told WBZ-TV he believed the incident was a drill initially.
"We thought it might be a drill. We do several drills at the hospital a year," the employee said. "We talked about it and decided to evacuate to the hallways. When we got to the hallways, we realized it was a serious situation, that people were pouring down the hallways."
At 5:45 p.m., the hospital reopened and staff members were allowed back inside.
Dr. Joanne Conroy, CEO and President of the hospital, thanked staff in a memo on Tuesday night.
She said that everyone did exactly as they had been thoroughly trained to do, some evacuated and some sheltered in place.
"You became very creative over the hours...one team set up a MASH unit in the parking lot and saw over 40 patients, removed stitches, changed dressings and scheduled those patients to return later this week for follow up," Conroy continued. "For those that sheltered in place, thank you for the care and comfort you gave to patients and their families during this stressful time."
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives said special agents from ATF Boston also responded to assist.
The New Hampshire Attorney General's office said they are investigating and anyone who has any information is asked to call the New Hampshire State Police Major Crime Unit.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
