New Hampshire hospital shooting: Security guard killed, suspect killed by police officer, authorities say

CNN
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A security guard working at a New Hampshire psychiatric hospital was fatally shot Friday and a suspect was shot by a state trooper assigned to the facility, authorities said.

The incident happened Friday afternoon at New Hampshire Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire State Police said. All patients at the hospital were safe, State Police Director Col. Mark Hall said.

Bradley Haas, 63, was shot while working in the lobby of the facility around 3:30 p.m., the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said in a news release. Haas, a former police chief in the small neighboring town of Franklin, worked as a security guard for the New Hampshire Department of Safety.

Authorities have not released any information about the suspect, citing a active investigation into the incident.

After the shooting, authorities investigated a suspicious vehicle in the hospital parking lot, which was later cleared and deemed safe. Law enforcement officials used a tactical robot to inspect a U-Haul, videos from CNN affiliates show.

Authorities plan to release more information about the shooting Saturday morning.

The hospital is a psychiatric facility that helps treat people suffering from “acute mental illness,” according to its website.

The head of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said Friday evening she was “shocked and saddened” by the shooting.

“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family as well as our colleagues who were affected,” Commissioner Lori Weaver said at a news conference.

Weaver said the hospital would be temporarily closed to visitors, but support would be provided to patients and staff “as we work through this tragedy together.”

“This is a difficult and unimaginable day for our employees and for our community,” added the commissioner.

Governor Chris Sununu said in a statement aboutthe social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the state “immediately mobilized, and first responders and law enforcement are on scene.”

“This afternoon there was an incident at New Hampshire Hospital, which was contained. Although the scene remains active while the campus is cleared, the suspect is deceased,” Sununu said. “We will provide as much detail as possible as the situation develops.”

CNN’s Polo Sandoval contributed to this report.