A suspect opened fire in the front lobby of the New Hampshire State Hospital in Concord earlier today. Resulting in the death of security officer Bradley Haas before a state trooper, who was at the location, fatally shot the suspect according to CBS News. The situation is now "contained," and there is no ongoing threat to safety.
Bradley Haas, 63, was working as a security guard at the hospital when the incident occurred. Haas was a retired police chief with 28 years of service in Franklin, New Hampshire, and previously served three years in the US Army as a military police officer as reported by Boston Globe. Governor Chris Sununu expressed his admiration for Haas, noting, "He will be remembered for his heroism and decades of public service."
Resident eyewitness Owen Jones described the chilling scene of someone fleeing the building. This tragedy, he noted, hit even closer to home due to recent mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine. "I’m kind of shocked," Jones confessed to Boston Globe. After receiving initial reports of the shooting, a Concord police dispatcher informed officers about gunfire at the hospital and hinted that the suspect could potentially be "down."
In response to the incident, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services established a call center to support hospital staff and patients' family members. Commissioner Lori Weaver conveyed the department's sympathy for the victim's family and their colleagues while announcing that the hospital, currently closed to visitors, continues to serve patients as mentioned by Boston Globe.
Police responded quickly to the scene initially at 3:38 p.m. earlier today, and managed to contain the situation by 4 p.m. as reported by CBS News. Autopsies for the security officer and the suspect will swiftly be conducted tomorrow following procedures at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Concord. The identity of the trooper who exterminated the suspect and the suspect's identity are yet to be disclosed.
Franklin Police Chief David Goldstein, who followed in Haas' footsteps as the head of the department in 2009, recalled the unfortunate incident, articulating, "you would think that an individual who retired successfully [and] comfortably, and then went back to work to do more for the community, would be allowed to finish out what he wanted to do, tragically his life was taken", as per Boston Globe.
