Two hospital employees were fatally shot near the labor and delivery area on the fourth floor of the Dallas hospital.
DALLAS — Officials with Dallas Methodist Hospital said they will be adding more security at the hospital after the tragedy on Saturday morning.
Two hospital employees were killed near the labor and delivery area on the fourth floor.
While the hospital is adding more security, the mood at the hospital is somber. Hospital staff and visitors are trying to make sense of how and why this happened.
From the outside of Dallas Methodist Hospital, life looks to be operating as normal. But, hearts are broken inside.
“It’s frightening. You really didn’t talk to anyone about what happened. You saw it on the news,” said Bill Betzen. He brings his friend ice cream at the hospital every night.
When he walked up on Sunday night, it felt different to him.
“To find out two people died, to find out that one of them was a social worker, that hits me at home, because I’m a social worker,” said Betzen.
Sources told WFAA a social worker and a nurse were shot and killed near the labor and delivery area. Police charged 30-year-old Nestor Hernandez with capital murder.
“You never know what you’re going to walk into. This was tragic,” said Betzen. He’s now hoping for change when it comes to guns at the hospital.
Authorities haven’t released the names of the hospital workers killed. But a fellow nurse talked about her friend who died on Saturday.
She told WFAA, “She was a great caring nurse, who loved her job. She loved her daughters and grandbabies. She recently renovated her house and was looking forward to retirement. She loved her Dr Pepper and Nutter Butter.”
Hospital visitors talked about the violence inside of a place that’s meant to save lives.
“Texas has a problem with guns, everybody on the street can have a gun,” said Betzen. He hopes people will be searched as they go to a hospital for safety measures.
After Saturday’s shooting, Methodist Hospital said it will have more security on campus and active shooter training for all staff.
“Since Saturday’s shooting, and out of an abundance of caution, police force staffing has been increased on the Methodist Dallas Medical Center campus, including for mothers and babies,” the hospital said in a statement.
“This is a good place, even at good places things can happen. It’s a tragedy,” said Betzen, as he’s been coming to this hospital for 40 years.
There was supposed to be a vigil held at the hospital on Sunday evening, but it was canceled because authorities haven’t been able to notify family members of the social worker. They believe her family is overseas.